A new group intends to go all out in opposing proposed tax increases that would help pay for teacher raises in Oklahoma.
Republican organizer Ronda Vuillemont-Smith said Oklahoma Taxpayers Unite is prepared to take action.
"Citizens have the power to repeal legislation via a veto referendum, which we plan to pursue should HB1010XX or HB1033XX or any other burdensome tax increase be passed by the House and Senate and signed into law by the governor," Vuillemont-Smith said.
The group subscribes to the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, a promise not to raise taxes popular among Republican lawmakers, and is also encouraging people to run against Oklahoma lawmakers who vote for the tax increases.
Former Oklahoma U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn joined the group at a news conference Wednesday and said the Oklahoma House's Monday night passage of tax increases in HB1010 reminded him of Washington, D.C.
"You had the suspension of rules, the lack of ability to read a bill, the lack of ability to offer amendments, and the only leadership you had was to spend more and have less responsibility and less transparency in government," Coburn said. "So, teachers, don’t take this as something against you. This is about the leadership that leads Oklahoma."
Coburn said "moneyed interests" are behind the recent push to raise taxes, but he struggled to name names.
"The people that are associated — that tried to do the Step Up program, wanted to raise taxes, didn’t they? All right? So, those are the moneyed interests that want to raise taxes rather than cut expenses. Why can’t we cut?" Coburn said.
