Legislative News
This page is to provide legislative updates to the OkASBO membership. For more information, please contact our legislative liaison, Steve Shriever.
4/22/2014: Legislative Action Alert HB 3399
4/21/2014: HB2625
Yesterday Governor Fallin vetoed HB 2625. This veto strips away the right of parents to have a voice in determining the appropriate educational placement of their third grader.
HB 2625 would allow parents, two teachers, a school principal, and a trained reading specialist to unanimously determine whether to promote or retain a child in third grade. If a student with reading deficiencies is promoted to fourth grade under the provisions of HB 2625, the bill requires the district to develop an intensive reading remediation plan to get the student reading at grade level.
Governor Fallin vetoed HB 2625 citing studies that students with reading deficiencies that are promoted to higher grades are more likely to end up on social welfare programs or go to prison. In reality, the Reading Sufficiency Act, as enforced this year, has been exceptionally cruel to students with special needs as approximately half of all students at risk of retention are receiving special education services. HB 2625 would provide a two year window of time to determine if there is a need to allow for local control and increased parental involvement in the proper implementation of the Reading Sufficiency Act.
HB 2625 passed the State Senate and House with over 90% support.
Think about that – HB 2625 enjoyed support from an overwhelming majority of lawmakers, yet Governor Fallin decided to veto the bill.
By vetoing HB 2625, Governor Fallin is basically telling Oklahoma parents and teachers that they shouldn't have a voice in the education of their students.
Please contact your lawmaker today and urge them to override the veto on HB 2625.
4/20/2014: House Joint Resolution (HJR) 1101, introduced yesterday, would send a state question to the people.
HJR 1101 would amend section 6B of Article 10 of the Oklahoma Constitution. This section provides for a property tax exemption for certain kinds of manufacturing facilities and provides for reimbursement to impacted entities through what we normally refer to as the Ad Valorem Reimbursement Fund. This measure would change the way the manufacturing exemption is provided. HJR 1101 would allow a simple majority of a local board of county commissioners to decide whether a manufacturing facility would be exempt from property tax or not. A simple majority of the board of county commissioners would decide upon the period of time that the facility would be exempt from property taxes not to exceed five years. A majority of the board of county commissioners would decide upon the percentage of the value of the facility that would be exempt not to exceed one hundred percent (100%). This same process would apply to providing property tax exemptions to expansions of an existing manufacturing facility.
If HJR 1101 passes as introduced, the Legislature would no longer reimburse school districts, career technology districts and local governments for property tax revenues foregone because of the manufacturing exemptions.
The changes proposed in HJR 1101 would only apply to manufacturing tax exemptions authorized for the first time on or after January 1, 2015.
Please contact your State Representative and State Senator TODAY and ask them to OPPOSE HJR 1101.
Talking Points in OPPOSITION to HJR 1101:
· It is not sound public policy to provide two elected county commissioners the sole authority to set tax policies that impact the entire state of Oklahoma.
· The Oklahoma Legislature helped establish the ad valorem exemption for qualifying manufacturing facilities in 1985 and should retain the obligation to reimburse school districts, career technology districts and county governments for a tax incentive program they created!
· If these decisions are to be made at the local level, school districts should have a vote / binding voice in the process of providing a property tax exemption to manufacturing facilities because schools receive over 60% of ad valorem revenue.
4/1/2014: House Bill 2652 Got word from Senator Jolley's office, Senator Jolley has agreed to hear HB 2642 so please email him and thank him. Now we need to email members of the Senate Appropriation Committee and ask them to support HB 2642. Senate appropriation committee members and email addresses can be located on the oksenate.gov web-site.
- Link to Senate Appropriation Committee Members email addresses ---> Committee on Appropriations
- Information on HB2642 ---> HB 2642
