Corn Casts Deciding Vote Against Lowering Property Taxes for Seniors

After voting in favor of a freeze on property taxes for Oklahoma senior citizens, Senator Kenneth Corn (D-Howe), flip flopped and cast the deciding vote to deny this much needed tax relief for the most vulnerable, fixed-income citizens in the state.

SJR 57, authored by Senator Jim Reynolds (R-OKC), failed in the Senate by a vote of 22-25, with Corn voting in favor of the measure. Reynolds later moved to reconsider the vote, which was granted by his colleagues.

With the vote 25-21 in favor of the resolution – sufficient to pass -- the presiding officer announced the vote was about to close. Immediately before the sound of the gavel, Corn switched his vote from YES to NO, causing a final vote of 24-22. A majority of the 48-member Senate is required for passage, thus the opportunity to send this resolution to a vote of the people failed.

“As an unsuccessful candidate for president -- whom I assume Senator Corn supported -- once said, he was for it before he was against it,” Coffee said. “Senator Corn positioned himself as the defender of senior nutrition funding, but failed these people when it comes to saving them real dollars out of their pockets that could pay for their meals or medications.

“He can’t have it both ways. I believe Senator Corn owes every senior citizen in the state an explanation of his flip flop on this important vote,” he concluded.