PINION Edmond Sun - 12/09/2017

THE FIRST AMENDMENT: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of

religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the
press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a
redress of grievances.

THE EDMOND SUN SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2017

Page : A04
128th year | 9
32 pages

Lance
General

SQ640 protects taxpayers

Ext

TER lmoler@edm

Mark
IEW Ed
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r to mcodner@ed

I
f you want to regulate speech, where we are today. We have a ly increase revenue for appropria- Todd
tor: you belittle the First downturn in Oklahomas oil and tion by more than $500 million. Productio
eeds to Amendment. If you want to gas economy, and a state govern- Also, Oklahoma has raised person- production@e
Business: (
ads in confiscate guns, you vilify the ment frantically searching for al income tax rates and cigarette Fax: (405
repent, Second Amendment. more than $400 million to spend taxes since 640 was adopted by Classifieds:
Almighty In Oklahoma, if you want to instead of making tough choices. voters. Fax: (405
rath reach into taxpayers wallets for As you might expect, some law- So mostly during Republican Our maili
more cash, you denounce the makers are now looking to wage majorities elected control, annual- P.O. B
Edmond, O
needs to constitutional protections estab- war against 640. ly recurring revenues were raised
nd invoke lished by State Question 640, They claim it con- more than $724.7 million. Our shipp
me Laws which was approved by voters in fines government Oklahomas budget issues stem 123 S. B
assing 1992. by making any from two causes an extended Edmond
Our w
go In case some forgot, 640 is that revenue-raising recession that hit the oil and gas www.edm
m. Same annoying rule on revenue-raising measures impossi- industry and the failure to address
Supreme measures. With it voters took back ble to pass. But the inefficient structure of govern- The Edmond
he some of their power. The measure thats not true. ment. When times are tough, state 1522-5828) pu
first calls for Oklahoma voter In 2009, 2010, government must do everything newspaper W
Saturday exce
House approval on tax increases. Or, and 2011, legisla- possible to adjust spending to holidays at 12
be alternatively, the Legislature Jonathan tors organized match income, just like the rest of Edmond, OK
the could pass tax increases with a bipartisan super- us. When a legal
supermajority of at least 75 per-
Small majorities to pass When we easily give government on a Tuesday,
print on a Thu
ives for cent in each chamber. bills that raised more money, it finds a way to legal holiday
. 36, the For working Oklahoma families, OCPA President some $224 million quickly spend it. Then, it returns Saturday, the
e 640 offers some protection from in new annual next year asking for more. edition will pr
ld the threat of constant tax increas- state funds and Oklahoma taxpayers are grateful
ct. es. Before it passed, simple $268 million in to have 640 in the books. POSTMASTER
of address to:
he mur- majorities easily raised taxes annual matching Lawmakers should respect taxpay- Sun, P.O. Box
ercent of without concern for Oklahomas federal dollars. Press releases from ers instead of waging war against OK 73083. Pe
orted, as a economy. For example, House Bill the executive branch, Board of 640. postage is pai
reducing 1017 passed in 1990, which raised Equalization reports, and legisla- Post Office in
urder of taxes by more than $200 million. tive budget summaries show that JONATHAN SMALL Serves as president
Subscrip
born If history doesnt necessarily the 2015, 2016, and 2017 legisla- of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
gs, is repeat itself, it echoes. Look at tive sessions combined to annual- (www.ocpathink.org). Home Delive
e proud EZ-Pay only
month
Monthly Rate
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A children's agenda for the New Year Quarterly Rat
6-Month Rate
Annual Rate
Prices included hard copy d

F
ey God. or those who are involved in fare: Oklahomas Pinnacle Plan the country, children of color face disad- tronic access 5-days a week

to Gods politics and policy at the reform agenda designed to correct vantages and challenges that their Single copie
Week day
umans, Oklahoma State Capitol, 2017 longstanding problems within the white peers do not. While almost two- Saturday
y every feels like the year that will never Department of Human Services child thirds of white children come from
came end. Special legislative sessions, welfare division has been successful families making more than 200 per- The Sun pub
outh. elusive budget deals, and an early at reducing caseloads for social work- cent of the federal poverty level, for daily digital e
Wednesday a
hen God start to political campaigning have ers, contributing to a safer and more instance, the same is true for just 37 To subscribe,
shall not given this year an endless Ground stable environment percent of African American children, www.edmon
was Hog Day vibe that makes it seem for children. Severe 36 percent of Native American chil- click on E-edi
the inno- like 2018 exists only in the distant and chronic under- dren and 33 percent of Hispanic chil- tion.
e murder- future. funding at DHS, dren. Legislators should examine
Entire conten
Nevertheless, the New Year is prac- however, means the ways of closing that race gap, focusing Reproduction
o take tically here, and it may surprise the agency is constantly on improving outcomes (and funding mission is pro
erform public to learn that the bill-filing a threat to regress. To levels) at public schools. Archives, pho
e cursed deadline for the 2018 legislative ses- prevent that from Early childhood development: and back issu
d sion is this Friday, Dec. 8. Bills filed happening, legisla- Research continues to support the Me
my 27:25). before Friday do not necessarily need tors must give DHS notion that Adverse Childhood Oklahoma Pr
d tells us Copyright to beEdmond
(c)2017 in their detailed,
Sun, final form;
Edition 12/09/2017
December 11, 2017 11:36 am (GMT +6:00)
the resources it Experiences (ACE) which include Southern Newspa
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ome to most are shell bills that simply Joe needs to hire, train things like exposure to poverty, National News
nd that identify a topic. In that spirit, the and retain quality domestic violence or substance U.S. Suburb
Dorman