State Questions Put To Reality Check

By Richard Clark and Terry Hood, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Four state questions await voters on the Oklahoma ballot in Tuesday's election.  The News On 6 is putting each question to the Reality Check to understand what each would do, if approved.

The first is State Question 735.  It is a Veterans' Property Tax Exemption that would make disabled veterans who live in Oklahoma exempt from personal property taxes, as long as they're honorably discharged.  Surviving spouses would also be eligible.

Next is State Question 741.  It is a Tax Exemption Deadline.  It's aimed at preventing certain tax increases.  It would do that by setting a deadline for anyone asking for a county property tax exemption.  Right now, businesses or individuals can be granted retroactive exemptions, suddenly putting their counties on the hook for money which may have been spent years earlier and forcing tax increases.

The third, State Question 742, would change the Oklahoma Constitution to guarantee all Oklahomans have the right to hunt, trap and fish.  That right would be subject only to reasonable regulation by the legislature and the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The last proposal is State Question 743.  It would also change the Oklahoma Constitution, by allowing winemakers to sell directly to retail package stores and restaurants in Oklahoma. The change applies to winemakers who produce no more than 10,000 gallons of wine a year, and they'd have to use their own vehicles to transport it.