With a teacher walkout one week away, bills to give and pay for teacher raises look to be headed to the Oklahoma House floor tonight.
Lawmakers were still drafting the bills, which are amended versions of measures from the second special session that has not yet been adjourned, late Monday afternoon.
Measures that will be considered include tobacco and fuel tax increases, caps on wind tax credits and itemized deductions, and allowing ball and dice games at casinos.
Oklahoma Education Association President Alicia Priest said nothing’s a done deal yet.
"Given this legislature’s track record on actually delivering on the promise to invest in students and schools, we will be watching carefully," Priest said.
Priest says the quick action is somewhat good news with teachers prepared to walk out April 2.
"I want to emphasize that this action means our movement is winning," Priest said.
Republican leaders have been cool to OEA's demand for a $10,000 teacher raise, saying smaller raises will have to do. Their teacher pay bill would increase most teachers' salaries around 16 percent. Other bills would give public school support staff a $1,250 raise across the board and state employees stepped raises based on their current pay.
OEA has suggested a $906 million dollar funding package that includes a 5 percent gross production tax and increased tobacco and fuel taxes. That would pay for teacher, support staff and state employee raises.
Oklahoma Policy Institute Director David Blatt said if lawmakers need a hand, they’ve come up with $1.4 billion worth of revenue possibilities.
"There is a menu of revenue options that can be adopted by the legislature that would provide fairness and balance," Blatt said.
Oklahoma Policy’s ideas include those tax increases already mentioned along with reversing income tax cuts, limiting itemized deductions and raising the state sales tax while eliminating it for groceries.
