Journalist: John Manigah (ORU)
Representative David Brothers of Oklahoma Baptist University presents “The State Department of Education: Incentivize Division for School, Employee, and Student Excellence Act,” (OSU-501). A unique faith-based bill that aims to discourage the use of “vices,” said Brothers, such as alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, vaping, gambling, pornography, and a party lifestyle in young, developing students. while promoting excellence in education among young students. “When you’re young like that, the mind is so feeble, it’s still developing. Drinking, smoking, or any of that harms your cognitive functions and the future of your brain health,” said Brothers.
Key Provisions: Here is the technical function of what Rep. Brothers’ Bill does…
- Creates a new division:
- Creates a new division within the Department of Education called “Incentivization Division for School, Employee, and Student Excellence”
- Identifies Excellence:
- Identifies and selects the top 500 performing students each school year based on grades, volunteer hours, course rigor, and college classes taken in high school
- Monetary Reward:
- Financial rewards are given to the top 500 students, including possible full-ride scholarships
- based on a performance-reward system. The better the performance, the better the reward.
- School Grants and Teacher Incentives:
- School will receive grants based on students who place in the top 500
- Teachers will receive bonuses in proportion the the number of students they had in the top 500
- Tax on “Vices”
- Increases taxes on alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, vaping, gambling, and pornography
- Taxes will be applied to pornographic website subscriptions and memberships
- The idea is also utilized in Alabama
Practical and moral Standpoint
This bill was written because “Oklahoma ranks last in education, has the lowest teaching salaries, and has the highest teacher turnover rates,” said Rep. Brothers. This bill was written to incentivize excellence in education for both students and teachers, and Brothers believes a monetary reward was the most effective way to incentivize this. “Unfortunately, money motivates people. I wish there were another way. Creating rewards for your hard work was really the only way I could think about it,” said Rep. Brothers.
Why tax on “Vices”
- Youth Protection
- State’s young minds are feeble and still developing
- Desires to prevent early exposure to harmful behaviors
- Believes higher taxes will make these vices an “expensive habit” and discourage young students from engaging in these behaviors.
- Mental and social concerns
- Believes these vices are damaging to a young and developing society’s mental health
- States that these behaviors create unrealistic expectations and have proven to damage relationships
- Serves as a practical deterrent
- Desires to redirect money to improvement in Oklahoma education.
- Makes harmful behavior financially unappealing
Final Remarks
Brothers believe that these vices will distract our young society from living a life of excellence and deteriorate their academic abilities, along with the moral backbone of Oklahoma. “These are worldly vices to just escape, when there are other ways like putting your faith in God, it not only makes you reliant on God, but deviates you from being reliant on these worldly things when that’s not always going to be there for you. It also fortifies your mind to be prepared for other shortcomings,” said Rep. Brothers.