Sears To "Look At" School Bond Supermajority

Thanks to the Oklahoman editorial board for giving taxpayers a "heads up" on an issue that will more than likely be facing the legislature sooner rather than later.  In an editorial piece chiding the efficacy of the 60% supermajority required to pass school bond issues, they spoke with Representative Earl Sears whose daughter (Hollye Hunt) is a lobbyist for higher education and he himself heads up the education budget subcommittee.

Note:  The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education call Hollye Hunt an "Assistant Vice Chancellor for Governmental Relations" so they don't have to register with the Ethics Commission as a "lobbyist."  But I still say she is a lobbyist who has worked for Mary Fallin and Tom Cole.

This quote from the editorial speaks volumes:

Even though voters across the state routinely pass bond issues, the supermajority mandate has been a stumbling block for many bond issues that received 50 percent approval but failed to get the extra 10 percent.

School bond issues are important and it is agreed that funding education is important.  However, until there is a reduction of the number of school administrators/superintendents, the supermajority requirement should stand.  And God help Sears if he thinks that We The People aren't watching. We're not buying it and thanks to the Oklahoman for the warning that this will be coming down the legislative pike.

And don't forget...Sears himself as principal for Bartlesville Middle School for 22 years.  Wonder if he supports the OEA...more about that later though.

Speaker-elect Steele and his hand-picked appointees to "reform education" have been put on notice.  We're watching very closely and we're simply not going to accept anything less than excellence and fiscal accountability for education.  They lied about the lottery.  They lied about the so-called benefits of SQ744 and they are lying when it comes to the efficacy of the required supermajority.

The reason we have a 60% supermajority is because education funding is so pervasive.  We need to keep the supermajority.   Period. 

Contact your House Representative here and let it be known that until the administrative bloating is cured, don't even THINK about changing the supermajority.