More than $1 Million from Out-of-State Interests Fuel Failed Idea
State Question 726, known as the Taxpayers' Bill of Rights (TABOR), will weaken Oklahoma. Through a permanent constitutional amendment, it uses a flawed formula to limit government spending. This proposal is not an Oklahoma idea, but a proposal being paid for by out-of-state interest groups.
As of April 30, 2006, $1,068,122 has been dedicated to putting TABOR in our state's constitution through a group called Oklahomans in Action. According to Ethics Commission reports (CR-1), this group owes its existence almost entirely to contributions from a small number of out-of-state interest groups.
In fact, $1,060,000, or 99%, comes from out of state. These out-of-state sources of monetary contributions include:
- $365,000 from Americans for Limited Government, based in Chicago
- $225,000 from Americans for Tax Reform, based in Washington, D.C.
- $200,000 from the Colorado Club for Growth, based in Colorado
- $180,000 from National Taxpayers Union Foundation, based in Washington, D.C.
- $70,000 from the Legislative Education Action Drive (LEAD), based in Chicago
Oklahomans have contributed less than $10,000 or less than one percent of the total funding for SQ 726.
SQ 726 (TABOR)
SQ 726 will lead Oklahoma to a race to the bottom in terms of state support for education, road and bridge repairs, healthcare, and public safety. The law leaves the state less responsive to emergencies, strips power away from our elected representatives, and puts power in the hands of special interests. The TABOR proposal has a proven record of failure as seen in Colorado, the only state in the country to have imposed such laws. The experiment left the state paralyzed in dealing with funding for education, healthcare services, and economic development. Last November, led by a bipartisan coalition, the people of Colorado suspended TABOR to allow their budget to recover.
Oklahoma's Homegrown Solutions
Out-of-state organizations working to pass TABOR in Oklahoma share a common desire to limit government spending and prevent tax increases. However, SQ 726 is not the answer for Oklahoma. Our state already has enacted bold measures to make government accountable to taxpayers, including:
- A balanced budget amendment,
- SQ 640, which requires any tax increase be approved by 3/4 of the legislature or a vote of the people,
- A Constitutional Reserve (Rainy Day) Fund, and
- A limit on how much the government's budget can grow from one year to the next.
We DO NOT need out of state lobbyists and special interests telling us how to run Oklahoma!