Corn: HJR1014 Would Disenfranchise Oklahomans

Sen. Kenneth Corn on Wednesday said a measure passed by the state Senate would limit the ability of Oklahoma citizens to determine how their tax dollars are to be used in the Legislature. Future generations of Oklahomans, Corn added, could be helpless in determining the Legislature’s spending priorities under the legislation.

House Joint Resolution 1014 would send to a vote of the people a proposed Constitutional amendment that would remove certain constitutional requirements related to state spending. Corn said the proposal would lock the door to the appropriations process, keeping Oklahoma taxpayers on the outside looking in.

“This proposal signals that certain members of the Legislature are no longer aware of their role as elected representatives,” said Corn, D-Poteau. “It would prevent the citizens of Oklahoma from determining how their tax dollars are used in the Legislature, and limit their ability to determine legislative priorities. This places a boundary between the citizens and their elected representatives on the issue of spending.”

Corn said that while proponents of the measure say it would slow the growth of government, its wording would also limit the ability of future generations to identify specific areas for limiting expenditures.

“Should this become law, it’s a vote we’ll regret for years to come,” Corn said. “This is a fundamentally undemocratic proposal that asks the people of the state to cast a vote in favor of giving the Legislature the authority and influence that rightly belongs to the citizens.”