All of the bills promising a teacher pay raise are dead for this legislative session. But, some lawmakers are still fighting for one.
The Senate’s deadline to vote on House Bill 1114 was Thursday, but they chose to not even discuss the measure.
The bill proposed a multi-year approach to increasing teacher pay, starting with a 1,000 raise next year, and a 6,000 dollar bump by year three.
Senator Greg Treat says lawmakers have yet to find funding for the plan, and that’s why they didn’t consider it.
This goes against what House Speaker Charles McCall said on Wednesday. In a press release, McCall said the House will put forward many revenue raising measures in the next couple weeks, and the first $53 million will go toward funding the teacher pay raise.
“House Republicans promised Oklahomans that we would pass a teacher pay raise plan this session, and we did our part. The House passed a bipartisan and realistic teacher pay plan and sent it to the Senate, and we provided for funding the raise in our budget. Our members heard from citizens over and over on the doorstep that a teacher pay raise was a priority of theirs, and it has been and remains a top priority for House Republicans. We continue to work with our colleagues in the Senate to find an agreement that keeps our promise to Oklahoma’s teachers this session.”
Sen. Treat says the conversation isn’t over, and a unified plan for pay raises could still emerge. But he’s not sure how likely that is.
