Vote NO on SQ 845 and SQ 847 | Oklahomans need real solutions. These proposals aren’t them.

On November 3, all Oklahoma voters will decide on two proposed changes to the state Constitution. SQ 845 would significantly change the state’s Judicial Nominating Commission that chooses nominees for the state’s top judges. SQ 847 would adjust the assessment caps for property owners throughout Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Policy Institute rarely takes positions on state questions. However, after carefully reviewing both proposals, OK Policy is urging voters to vote NO on both state questions.

They don’t deliver what Oklahomans actually need.

Oklahomans deserve relief from rising housing costs and a judicial system they can trust. SQ 847 doesn’t lower property tax bills — and could even increase them — while SQ 845 strips away key protections in choosing our top judges. Real problems deserve real solutions. SQ 845 and SQ 847 simply don’t deliver them.

Look past the promise to what they actually do.

Lawmakers proposed these state questions as solutions to real concerns Oklahomans are facing, but the details tell a different story. 

• SQ 845 is presented as modernizing how we select judges, but it would eliminate important protections that help keep politics out of our courts.
• SQ 847 is promoted as property tax relief, yet it fails to reduce tax bills and would make it harder for local communities to adequately fund schools and essential services. It may even raise taxes. 

Oklahomans shouldn’t give up something valuable without getting something better in return.

Both state questions risk leaving Oklahomans with less control and little to show for it. 

• SQ 845 would allow all members of the Judicial Nominating Commission to be from the same political party, removing long-standing safeguards and opening the door to greater partisan influence over our courts.
• SQ 847 would not cut taxes, but would weaken local control by restricting communities’ ability to fund their needs, shifting more power to state lawmakers in Oklahoma City who may not understand local priorities.

What’s concerning about each proposal

SQ 845 – Judicial Nominating Commission 

SQ 845 would remove safeguards designed to protect Oklahoma from the kind of judicial corruption the state has experienced before.

By allowing all JNC members to be from the same political party, SQ 845 could make judicial selection more partisan and give politics greater influence over our courts.

SQ 845 could increase the risk of conflicts of interest by removing restrictions that prevent many JNC members from being attorneys or having attorneys in their families.

SQ 847- Property Tax Assessment Caps

SQ 847 does not lower current property tax bills for homeowners. In fact, some homeowners, including seniors, could see their property taxes go up as communities pay off existing bond obligations.

Property taxes also fund public schools and many local services. SQ 847 would slow revenue for these vital programs, which could result in fewer teachers, bigger classes, slower sheriff and ambulance response times, worse roads, and fewer services for families and seniors.

SQ 847 would put more power in the hands of state lawmakers to decide the priorities for your community when it comes to schools, public safety, infrastructure, and other local priorities.

Vote NO on Nov. 3

On Nov. 3, vote NO on State Questions 845 and SQ 847. A NO vote protects local control, keeps safeguards on political power, and rejects proposals that don’t solve the problems Oklahomans face.