Election Results
Oklahoma voters in 18 counties went to the polls Tuesday.
In Beaver County, voters chose to add another post-secondary education institution into the state’s panhandle. They overwhelmingly approved a proposal for the High Plains Technology Center’s district to annex the county and begin operating there. Property taxes will increase as a result.
In Grove, residents voted for a sales tax increase to pay for new police and fire department stations. They had previously rejected a property tax increase last fall.
Voters living in the Oakdale Public School District in Edmond approved an $11 million bond package for the district’s security upgrades, new HVAC systems and more.
Several Tulsa Schools Moved Off Federal Low-Performance List
Several public schools in Tulsa have performed well enough to be moved off a federal list for low performance.
At Monday’s board of education meeting, Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ebony Johnson announced 12 schools in her district had been moved off a federal list known as Comprehensive Support and Improvement, or CSI.
TPS was informed by the Oklahoma State Department of Education that the schools had done well enough to shed the designation, which is meant for the bottom 5-percent of impoverished institutions.
“Congratulations to each of those principals and their teams on the exceptional progress those students have made. Their dedication and hard work are truly commendable," said Johnson.
Another four schools had already been moved off a state improvement list known as Most Rigorous Intervention, or MRI.
Johnson previously told the State Board of Education that she wanted to get 12 of the 18 schools in her district off the state MRI list
Oil Spill In Lexington
Cleanup continues on an oil spill that happened in Lexington Tuesday afternoon.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission says a crew was working on an oil well and a pressure bump occurred causing around two to three barrels of oil to spill.
Due to high winds, the oil hit a nearby building and cars.
Officials say there was no impact to groundwater, and that the operator should have the cleanup finished by today.
Oklahoma Tax Study
A recent study of Oklahoma taxes found the state’s system is upside down, largely due to its structure. This means tax burdens are higher on people who have less money.
The nonpartisan, nonprofit Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found Oklahoma has the 16th most regressive tax system in the country.
“This means our tax system asks the most from the residents who have the least," said Shiloh Kantz, executive director of the Oklahoma Policy Institute.
Gov. Kevin Stitt began his call for no income tax in the state late last year during what was ultimately a failed special session.
The report found that eliminating the personal income tax would mean the lowest-income 20% of taxpayers would face a state and local tax rate that is 300% higher than the top 1% of households.
The Oklahoma Policy Institute says implementing a 0% income tax policy would also drop Oklahoma from the 16th most regressive tax system to the 8th.
_________________
For additional news throughout the day visit our website, KGOU.org and follow us on social media.
We also invite you to subscribe to the KGOU PM NewsBrief.