Opinion ID: 4016947
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Ballot Title Challenge.

Text: ¶9 In addition to the gist of the measure, the Petitioners challenge the sufficiency of the rewritten ballot title. The ballot title must reflect the character and purpose of the measure and not be deceptive or misleading. In re Initiative Petition No. 360, State Question No. 662, 1994 OK 97, ¶25, 879 P.2d 810. The test is whether it is written so that voters are afforded an opportunity to fairly express their will and whether it apprises voters with substantial accuracy what they are asked to approve. In re Initiative Petition No. 360, State Question No. 662, 1994 OK 97 at ¶25. The ballot title shall also not reflect partiality in its composition or contain any argument for or against the measure. Title 34 O.S. Supp. 2015, § 9 (B) (4). After the 2015 amendments to 34 O.S. § 8, a challenge to the ballot title is now only appropriate post-circulation. 2015 Okla. Sess. Laws c. 193, § 4. As mentioned, circulation of the petition has already occurred. The Petitioners have therefore properly presented their challenge to the rewritten ballot title. ¶10 The Petitioners assert five errors in the rewritten ballot title: 1) the ballot title ignores the Board of Equalization's new power to prevent the Legislature from appropriating funds, 2) the ballot title's statement that sales and use tax will be increased by one cent is misleading and is inconsistent with the text of the Petition, 3) the ballot title fails to explain the effect of the proposition by omitting how the tax increase will be apportioned among governmental entities, 4) the ballot title's reference to improving public education expresses partiality and is an argument for the measure, and 5) the ballot title is misleading because it fails to explain the audit requirement and salary restrictions for revenue generated by the tax (they base this argument on the fact the proposed Article does not provide auditing requirements for higher education, career and technology education and the State Department of Education and the ballot title does not reflect this fact). The Petitioners propose the following amendments to the rewritten ballot title (underlined text represents added language and strike-through text represents deletions): This measure adds a new Article to the Oklahoma Constitution. The new Article creates a limited purpose fund to improve increase funding for public education. To provide revenue for the fund, the state It increases sales and use tax taxes are increased by one cent percent to provide revenue for the fund . It allocates funds for purposes related to the improvement of public education, such as increasing teacher salaries, addressing teacher shortages, programs to improve reading in early grades, increasing high school graduation rates, and college and career readiness. It also allocates funds for improving higher education, improving career and technology education, and increasing access to voluntary early learning opportunities for low income and at-risk children. The revenue shall be allocated: 69.50% for common school districts, 19.25% for the institutions under the authority of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, 3.25% for the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, and 8% for the State Department of Education. It requires that the teacher salary increases funded by this measure raise teacher salaries by at least $5,000 over the salaries paid in the year prior to adoption of this measure. It requires an annual audit of school districts' use of monies from the fund. It prohibits school districts' use of these funds for increasing superintendents' salaries or adding superintendent positions. School districts' use of the revenue will be audited annually. The Article does not provide for an audit requirement or salary restriction for the other state institutions which will receive revenue from the fund. It The Article requires that monies from the fund not supplant or replace other educational funding. If the Board of Equalization determines funding has been replaced, the Legislature may not make any appropriations until the amount of replaced funding is returned to the fund . The Article takes effect on the July 1 after its passage. ¶11 We agree that the ballot title is misleading if it does not mention the Board of Equalization's role in limiting appropriations. In addition, the ballot title should refrain from partiality and should clarify the amount of the sales and use tax as well as its allocation. We do not agree with Petitioners that the ballot title must reflect items that are not provided in the proposed Article. The Petitioners' amendments to the rewritten ballot title, however, exceed the statutory maximum number of words. Title 34 O.S. Supp. 2015, § 9 (B) (1) provides that a ballot title shall not exceed two hundred (200) words. The Petitioners' proposed amended ballot title is two hundred and fourteen (214) words. After considering the briefs and the proposed ballot titles we hereby, pursuant to the authority vested in this Court by 34 O.S. Supp. 2015, § 10 (A) 6 , correct and amend the ballot title to read as follows: This measure adds a new Article to the Oklahoma Constitution. The article creates a limited purpose fund to increase funding for public education. It increases State sales and use taxes by one cent per dollar to provide revenue for the fund. The revenue to be used for public education shall be allocated: 69.50% for common school districts, 19.25% for the institutions under the authority of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, 3.25% for the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, and 8% for the State Department of Education. It requires teacher salary increases funded by this measure raise teacher salaries by at least $5,000 over the salaries paid in the year prior to adoption of this measure. It requires an annual audit of school districts' use of monies. It prohibits school districts' use of these funds for increasing superintendents' salaries or adding superintendent positions. It requires that monies from the fund not supplant or replace other educational funding. If the Oklahoma Board of Equalization determines funding has been replaced, the Legislature may not make any appropriations until the amount of replaced funding is returned to the fund. The article takes effect on July 1 after its passage.