Supreme Court rules 9-0 that Zink Dam bonds are unconstitutional

The Oklahoma Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that the use of $25 million in state bond funds to make improvements to a dam owned by the City of Tulsa is unconstitutional.

The Court found that:
“In reality, the bonds appear to be nothing more than a gift to the City of Tulsa and surrounding communities from the State. This type of gift is precisely what is prohibited by the Oklahoma Constitution, Article X, Sections 14 and 15. Accordingly, the proposed bonds are unconstitutional.”

Sen. Patrick Anderson has long held the position that the issuance of these bonds violated the state Constitution and argued his case before the Supreme Court on Nov. 8. The Court’s decision ends a year-long battle that Anderson has waged over the project.

“I appreciate the Court’s prompt attention to this matter and I certainly agree with the Court’s conclusion that the issuance of these bonds would violate the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma,” said Anderson, R-Enid. “In the future, I would hope that policy makers will pay closer attention to the state Constitution.”