When it comes down to it, there is one thing that drove teachers to agree to walk out of their classrooms, superintendents to agree to shut down their schools, and lawmakers to agree to raise taxes: the underfunding of public education in Oklahoma. 

Days ahead of the recently called special legislative session, new poll numbers are citing a dominant majority of Oklahomans are in favor of a controversial tax at the heart of this year’s budget debates.

On November 8, Oklahomans will consider State Question 779. It asks voters to increase the state sales tax one cent to help pay for public education. 

Legislative leaders have repeatedly said, with an estimated $1.3 billion budget shortfall, nothing is off the table, but religious and civic leaders say some things should be.

Religious and nonprofit leaders will meet at the state capitol on Wednesday at 1 p.m. to defend some tax breaks that might now be on the chopping block.

In the wake of a hiring and salary freeze imposed by Governor Fallin one year ago, state agency heads were allowed to continue making hires and giving raises, as if there was no freeze. 

At the beginning of this month, a tax cut went into effect for most Oklahomans. But some are upset that legislators are moving forward with a tax break, while education faces huge cuts. So they’re asking you to donate your tax cut to a school.