Anti-tax despots

SQ 640 has made Oklahoma ungovernable

In March 1992, Oklahoma voters approved State Question 640, which requires a 75 percent supermajority for the legislature to increase taxes. It passed with the support of 56 percent of those voting that day, but with nothing else on the ballot, turnout was very low. To put things into perspective, President Bill Clinton received just 34 percent of the vote in Oklahoma later that year, but still had nearly 100,000 more votes than State Question 640.

Nevertheless, the minority of Oklahoma voters who supported SQ 640 on that day has had a dramatic and long-lasting impact on our state.

Gene Perry is policy director of Oklahoma Policy Institute. Find the rest of this article and more at okpolicy.org.