“I stand here tonight, and I am ready to invest in the future and invest in the great state of Oklahoma. Join me tonight, vote yes, and let’s all invest in this great state we call home.”

– Rep. Earl Sears (R-Bartlesville), debating for HB 1010XX, a bill that raises $447 million in new revenue to fund teacher pay raises and other priorities. Its passage by a 79-19 vote marks the first time that the House has reached a three-fourths majority for a tax measure since that requirement was added to the Oklahoma Constitution in 1992 (Source)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ryan Gentzler worked at OK Policy from January 2016 until November 2022. He last served as the organization's Reserach Director and oversaw Open Justice Oklahoma. He began at OK Policy as an analyst focusing on criminal justice issues, including sentencing, incarceration, court fines and fees, and pretrial detention. Open Justice Oklahoma grew out of Ryan’s groundbreaking analysis of court records, which was used to inform critical policy debates. A native Nebraskan, he holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Oklahoma and a BA in Institutions and Policy from William Jewell College. He served as an OK Policy Research Fellow in 2014-2015.

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