OKLAHOMA STUDENT'S TEST SCORES TO IMPROVE!!

Weekly Opinion Editorial

NEW STATE AGENCY NOT NEEDED!

by Steve Fair

     Last week, the Oklahoma legislature passed and Governor Stitt signed HB 2765 which appropriated $8.1 billion to state agencies and placed $200 million in savings.  The $8.3 billion dollar budget included  $157 million for common education(K-12 public schools), with a raise for public school teachers of $1,200 and money earmarked for school district to hire more classroom teachers.  State employees got a raise as well (up to $1,300 annually), and $1.7 million was appropriated to create a new state agency called the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT), which is to be a bipartisan committee that would conduct performance audits on state agencies.

     First, this is the largest Oklahoma state government budget in history.  The first year Republicans took over the legislature (2006), the state budget was $5.95 billion.  In just thirteen years, the state budget has increased +28.3%,slightly more than the rate of inflation.  Republicans gained control of the legislature by promising to reduce government’s footprint, but the fact is the rate of spending is no different than the Democrats.  Tax revenue is at an all-time high- under Republican control.  Sir Winston Churchill said a government that tries to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.   It’s like a poor person trying to spend their way to wealth.  It will not work.    

     Second, why do we need another state agency to conduct performance audits on state agencies?  Isn’t that the job of the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector’s office?  Instead of funding the constitutionally created Auditor’s office to conduct performance audits, the legislature creates an agency that will report directly to them?  This doesn’t make sense- or maybe it does.  If the issue is about accountability, creating a new state agency is hypocritical.  No one is more accountable than an elected official and the elected official in Oklahoma who is charged with auditing is the State Auditor’s office, not the legislature.  Audits shouldn’t be political and controlled by politicians.  Performance audits should be done on every entity that gets a dime of state tax dollars and it should be done by someone accountable to Oklahoma taxpayers- the State Auditor and Inspector. 

     Third, expect Oklahoma public school student test scores to significantly improve in the coming years.  With the investment and commitment Oklahoma taxpayers are making in common education, public schools are under pressure to perform.  For years, common education leaders have said if Oklahoma classroom teachers were paid at the regional average, student test scores would improve to the regional average.  The investment has been made- now it’s time for education to deliver results.

     The legislature adjourned on Friday Sine Die (Latin meaning no set day to return), a week before the law prescribes they had to adjourn.  Many observers gave the legislature and the newly elected governor high marks for getting done early and agreeing on a budget.  But spending more money because you have more money because you passed historic tax increases last year isn’t the way to turn around Oklahoma- it’s a way to continue down the same path.