Gubernatorial, superintendent candidates attend VOICE forum

In a state with the highest incarceration rate in the world and some of the nation’ s largest cuts to education, candidates for governor and state superintendent were asked about these and other issues at a Sunday forum hosted by a coalition of churches, worker associations and nonprofits.

The Oklahoma Citybased nonprofit Voices Organized in Civic Engagement (VOICE) hosted Sunday’s forum and asked candidates about many of the issues it advocates for, including restorative and economic justice, expansion of health care and increased investment in education.

On the topic of criminal justice reform, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Drew Edmondson said he supported making sentencing reform measures that were approved by voters in 2016 retroactive and that he would work to reduce mandatory sentencing minimums.

“I’m opposed to any system that does not allow a (reduced) sentence to be imposed when the judge and prosecutor and the defense attorney all agree it’s the right thing to do,” said Edmondson, rebuking certain mandatory minimum laws in Oklahoma.

Libertarian candidate Chris Powell also expressed support for sentencing reform and said he would restore firearm and voting rights to felons who have completed their sentence.

Republican nominee Kevin Stitt did not attend the forum.

While Edmondson said he would support expanding Medicaid in Oklahoma, Powell said it would be too costly.

“We (would be) putting more people on the rolls without having adequate funds to serve all those additional people,” Powell said.

Just five months after teachers staged a walkout to advocate for more education funding, candidates were asked how much additional statewide school funding they would seek as governor.

Edmondson said he wanted to raise the education budget by $300 million to $350 million annually, partly funded through an increase in taxes on oil and gas production, and a 50-cent tax hike on cigarettes.

“I don’t have a set number,” Powell said. “Hundreds of millions of dollars would probably be accurate.”

All three candidates for state superintendent also participated in the forum and each said a minimum of $300 million was needed.

At the beginning of the 2017-18 school year, Oklahoma’s funding for public schools had decreased by nearly 9 percent since 2008, while student enrollment increased by more than 8 percent, representing one of the deepest cuts in state education funding in the country.

“We need another $300 million (a year) and I’m going to advocate for another $120 million for teacher pay to bring the minimum over $40,000,” said John Cox, the Democratic nominee for state superintendent of public instruction.

Both Cox and Independent Larry Huff criticized the state’s A-through-F grading system for schools and said they would seek to remove it.

Incumbent Joy Hofmeister said a school rating system was a federal requirement, but that her administration has expanded what the assessment system measures to provide a more accurate picture of a school’s performance.

VOICE officials said they will not endorse any candidate, but will work to encourage Oklahomans to vote.