Weekly Wonk: Oklahomans speak out on SQ 847 | SQ 845 – To know history is to not repeat it | More

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This Week from OK Policy

Oklahomans speak out on SQ 847: State Question 847 — being decided by Oklahoma voters on Nov. 3, 2026 — 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. From classrooms and CareerTech programs to libraries and local governments, Oklahomans across the state share their concerns about how State Question 847 could affect the communities they call home. [OK Policy]

• From OK Policy: SQ 847 Fact Sheet | SQ 847 Explainer Video | What’s on the ballot for the November 3, 2026 elections in Oklahoma?

Tony Francisco: What SQ 847’s slower property tax growth really means: SQ 847 directly results in reduced amounts of operational revenue available to counties, school districts, libraries, and career techs. Some of the impacts on public schools will be offset by the State Equalization funds because per pupil expenditures are supposed to be equal throughout the state regardless of the amount of local property taxes generated. However, the overall impact is less tax revenue available for local services’ daily operation costs. [Read the full commentary from Tony Francisco of Oklahoma City]

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. [OK Policy]

• From OK Policy: Watch our State Questions Town Hall

Policy Matters: SQ 845 – To know history is to not repeat it: One of the darkest chapters in our state’s history shaped Oklahoma’s system for selecting judges. In the 1960s, a bribery scandal involving Oklahoma Supreme Court justices rocked the state’s judicial system, eroded public trust, and prompted Oklahomans to reconsider how the state should select judges for its highest courts. Now, nearly 60 years later, voters are being asked to consider changes to that system with State Question 845. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record]

• From OK Policy: SQ 845 Fact Sheet | SQ 845 Explainer Video

It’s not bad luck to have a good plan (National Estate Planning Awareness Week | October 19–25, 2026): Nobody knows what the future holds. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t plan for it. At the Oklahoma Policy Institute, we believe constructing a better future takes more than luck. It calls for careful planning, deliberate choices, and a commitment to making Oklahoma a place where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. The same idea is true in our own lives. [OK Policy]

Oklahoma lawmakers examine alternatives to unnecessary pretrial detention (Capitol Update): Last week, the House Public Safety Committee, chaired by Rep. David Hardin, R-Stilwell, held an interim study on criminal pretrial procedures, with Rep. Erick Harris, R-Edmond, presenting. Harris said that, with the overcrowded conditions in Oklahoma’s jails and corrections system, he wants to make certain there is enough room to hold those who need to be held in jail awaiting trial. There are people taking up space in jails that is needed for those violent offenders who must be held. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]

OK Policy in the News

Oklahoma Chronicle: State Question 847 dives into how much government can raise property taxes (video): How much should the government be able to raise your property taxes each year? That’s the question at the center of one of the state questions on every Oklahoman’s ballot at the midterm election. [KOCO]

• Another property tax vote that could affect school funding: How SQ 847 would work [Tulsa World]

What to know about Oklahoma State Question 845 and its impact on the judiciary: Oklahoma voters will decide whether to adjust the judicial selection committee this election cycle. Currently, a 15-member Judicial Nominating Commission nominates judges to the state’s Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals, Court of Civil Appeals, District and Associate District Judgeships. From a shortlist produced by the JNC, the governor selects the individual who will ultimately serve. State Question 845 would change the rules governing JNC eligibility. [KOSU]

Advocates say legal system chooses to incarcerate Black Oklahomans at higher rates, call for reform: Justice stakeholders are calling attention to disproportionately high incarceration rates among Black Oklahomans. They say over-representation is a fixable choice. [KOSU]

Warr Acres signs agreement with ICE as enforcement surrounds OKC Metro: Multiple law enforcement agencies in counties surrounding the OKC metro have signed enforcement agreements with ICE in recent weeks. [Oklahoma City Free Press]

• From OK Policy: Entering into 287(g) agreements harms Oklahoma families and communities | Which Oklahoma counties, cities and agencies have federal 287(g) agreements for immigration enforcement?

Lawmakers Examine SNAP, nutrition programs during interim study: Too many Oklahomans are hungry, and a group of state lawmakers wants to do something about it. This week three Republican lawmakers, Reps. Daniel Pae, Lawton; Emily Gise, Oklahoma City; and Cynthia Roe, Lindsay; held an interim study to examine the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, nutrition initiatives and home-delivered meal services. [The Lawton Constitution]

Upcoming Opportunities

Join us for Voices in Action — Turning community conversations into statewide change: This summer, we hosted listening sessions in towns and cities across the state to provide an opportunity for the public to have conversations with our fellow Oklahomans about issues that matter most in their communities. This October, we’re coming back to share what we heard in those communities and statewide, and to discuss ways we can use our collective power to make a difference on those issues. [Register now for an event in your community]

Weekly What’s That

Interim Study

Interim studies are studies of legislative and policy issues that may be requested by any member of the House or Senate. They often address issues that have been the subject of legislation that failed to pass in previous sessions, or emerging issues that are deemed worthy of more in-depth consideration.

Interim studies must be requested by House and Senate members by a deadline set by each chamber. Interim studies are assigned by each chamber’s leadership to committees, whose chairs then decide whether to schedule a meeting on the subject. In some cases, House study requests on similar subjects are combined into a single study. Some studies may be considered jointly by the House and Senate. In 2026, House Speaker Kyle Hilbert approved 92 interim study requests, while Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton approved 90 interim studies. 

Interim studies are typically held from September to November and usually meet at the State Capitol. A committee may devote from a single hour to several full meetings to each study. Local and national experts may be invited to testify at interim study meetings. Interim studies rarely generate formal reports or recommendations, but their work can guide future legislation.

Look up more key terms to understand Oklahoma politics and government here.

Quote of the Week

“I don’t like paying taxes any more than anyone else, but I also like having streets, schools, police officers, firefighters, and many other amenities funded by taxation.”

– Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt highlighting the importance of tax revenue in supporting essential public services and warning that State Question 847 could lead to declining funding for streets and schools over time. [The Oklahoman]

Op-Ed of the Week

Opinion, OKC Mayor: ‘Yes’ vote on Oklahoma SQ 847 means less for streets, schools

On Tuesday, Nov. 3, you are being asked by the Oklahoma Legislature to consider significantly reducing the funding for streets and education. That’s not necessarily how State Question 847 is being described to you, but that’s the reality. You deserve to know what you’re actually considering.

I’ve been a recipient of feedback from Oklahoma City residents for two decades, so I make this observation from a place of great experience: Though there are many funding priorities we all share, the most common requests I receive are demands to better fund streets and education.

Now, it should be self-evident that to increase funding for streets or education, we as residents would have to pay more in taxes. Though that should be a self-evident reality, we are surrounded in public life these days by politicians who try to sell us a fantasy that somehow we can magically pay less and get more.

[Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt / The Oklahoman]

Numbers of the Week

• 4 in 5 – In 2024, property taxes in Oklahoma brought in $3.9 billion for local governments and made up at least half of the budget in 62 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties, or more than 4 in 5 counties. [ITEP via OK Policy]

• -10,640 – The change in number of children enrolled in public schools in Oklahoma this year, a 1.5% decrease compared to last school year. The state has 686,718 public school students enrolled in 2026, a 2.4% drop from the state’s peak of 703,650 public school students in 2020. [Oklahoma State Department of Education]

• 5.6x – The rate at which Black youth were more likely than white youth to be placed in juvenile facilities in 2023. This marks the highest disparity recorded since data collection began in 1997. [The Sentencing Project]

• $1,092 – The difference in property taxes paid in 2025 between a newly purchased Tulsa home and one of similar value that has been owned for the average length of time in the city. The newly purchased home would face a $3,321 tax bill, compared to $2,229 for the longer-owned home — nearly 50% more despite having the same value. This disparity is largely driven by property tax assessment caps, which limit increases in assessed property values over time and can shift a greater tax burden onto newer homeowners. [Lincoln Institute of Land Policy | PDF]

• 4 – Number of days that Oklahoma provides for early voting, which starts Wednesday, Oct. 28. Of the 47 states that permit in-person early voting, only Kentucky provides fewer days than Oklahoma with three days of early voting. [Ballotpedia] 

What We’re Reading

• How Do Real Property Taxes Work?: Property taxes on land and buildings are the oldest and still the largest major revenue source for state and local governments. They fund schools, health care, public safety, and other services. They are collected mostly by cities, counties, school districts, and other types of local government, but states typically make the rules for assessing the value of property and imposing the tax, with major implications for tax fairness and adequacy. [Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy]

• Shrinking Budgets, Fewer Students: Public school districts nationwide are navigating compounding challenges that are forcing hard decisions and placing growing pressure on leaders to adapt. In our spring 2026 American School District Panel (ASDP) survey data, we observe major shifts in the top challenges district leaders are facing, compared with 2025 survey results. Specifically, budget shortfalls and declining enrollment have risen to the top of district leaders’ concerns, even as other long-standing challenges remain pressing issues. [Rand]

• Protect and Redirect: How to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Juvenile Diversion: Disparities in juvenile diversion begin early—Black and Tribal youth are significantly less likely than white peers to be diverted from court even when offending rates are similar, reflecting biased decision-making at arrest and intake. Prioritizing pre-arrest and pre-court diversion — especially for youth of color — can interrupt pathways into the justice system and improve equity. Strategies to close the gap include collecting race- and ethnicity-disaggregated diversion data, pinpointing decision points with the greatest disparities, and deploying targeted reforms in jurisdictions demonstrating progress. [The Sentencing Project]

• The Unintended Consequences of Assessment Limits: Assessment limits are commonly used to reduce the impact of rising property values on tax bills, but they are among the least effective and most inequitable forms of property tax relief. These limits can result in homeowners paying significantly different taxes on properties of equal value, often benefiting long-term owners over recent buyers and owners in rapidly appreciating, wealthier areas over those in neighborhoods with stagnant or declining property values. In some cases, homeowners may even pay more in property taxes than they would without assessment limits. These disparities can distort housing markets, reduce local economic competitiveness, and become difficult to reverse once implemented. More equitable alternatives include circuit breakers, homestead exemptions, tax deferrals, and monthly payment options. Truth in Taxation programs can also help prevent unexpected tax increases when property values rise without corresponding adjustments to tax rates. [Lincoln Institute of Land Policy]

• In Decade-Long Trend, States Expand Early, Absentee and Mail-In Voting: Over the past decade, early and absentee/mail voting has been one of the leading topics of state legislative action on election administration. Overall, the trend has been to expand absentee and mail voting laws. Many states adopted temporary changes in 2020 to accommodate voting during the COVID-19 pandemic; some of those changes have been made permanent while others expired. [National Conference of State Legislatures]