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Crowds Grow As Oklahoma Teacher Walkout Reaches Stalemate Over Education Funding

Dozens of schools across the state are closed for the seventh day, as thousands of Oklahoma teachers, students and education supporters are expected to descend on the state capitol today.

Warmer weather brought more demonstrators on Monday than the previous week, although the fight over education funding seems to be at a stalemate.

In order to end the walkout, the Oklahoma Educators Association, the largest teachers union in the state, wants Governor Mary Fallin to veto the repeal of the $5 dollar per night hotel/motel tax, and it wants lawmakers to repeal some capital gains exemptions.

It's unclear if Gov. Fallin is even considering a veto and, thus far, Republican leaders have shown no signs that they will hear Senate Bill 1086, the capital gains exemptions repeal, on the House floor.

This afternoon, more than 100 education advocates are expected to complete a seven-day, 110-mile march from Tulsa to Oklahoma City. The group has walked nearly 16 miles per day and have been sleeping at high schools along the route.

On Monday, a large group of teachers and students marched 13 miles from Edmond to the state capitol, while another large group marched seven miles to the capitol from the Mid-Del area.

Ryan LaCroix is the Director of Content and Audience Development for KOSU.
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