OU President to deliver signatures for education sales tax plan

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — University of Oklahoma President David Boren is expected to join teachers, students and other supporters of public education to deliver a potentially record-setting number of signatures in support of placing a penny sales tax on the November ballot.

Supporters of the tax hike will deliver the signatures to the Secretary of State's office on Thursday.

The group had until mid-May to gather the roughly 123,000 signatures needed to place the proposal on the ballot, but Boren said last month they already had surpassed 200,000 signatures.

If approved, the tax would generate about $615 million annually, with about 70 percent designated for a $5,000 pay raise for Oklahoma teachers.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Jeff Hickman says members are discussing an alternative teacher pay proposal for voters to consider.

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The Gayly - 4/21/2016 @ 11:44 a.m. CDT