The money was left over after mid-year cuts in allocations to state agency budgets were deeper than necessary.
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Gov. Mary Fallin’s suggestion that Oklahoma lawmakers return for a special session before November to consider ways to increase teacher salaries faced bipartisan criticism Thursday from legislators, state employees and even some teachers who called the idea short-sighted.
Oklahoma Public Employees Association Executive Director Sterling Zearley said that although he thinks teachers need a raise, he was stunned that Fallin was considering using the funds cut from state-appropriated agencies.
“There is no reason to believe that they could now come to an agreement if Oklahoma taxpayers paid to bring them back to the Capitol for a special session”, she said.
Hickman said the timing of Fallin’s proposal also could be problematic, with more than 70 members in the middle of campaigns to keep their legislative seats. The state’s final revenue reconciliation indicates the midyear cut should have been $272 million, according to an OMES press release. It also calls for a $5,000 teacher pay raise.
The money is available because General Revenue Fund allocation reductions required by the Fiscal Year 2016’s midyear revenue failure was deeper than necessary.
Lawmakers had $1.3 billion less to craft the fiscal year 2017 budget due to tax cuts, depressed energy prices and an inability to reduce tax credits and incentives given to generate economic development.
Priest said State Question 779 would provide a dedicated revenue stream.
“You can’t pay for continuing expenses out of money you found in your pockets”, he said.
“If the Republicans truly cared about teachers, they would have used their legislative supermajorities to pass a teacher pay raise at any time during the past eight years – when teachers last had a pay raise”, said House Democratic Leader Scott Inman, D-Oklahoma City. The textbook fund would still need to be restored, and programs that improve reading and high school graduation rates would still be cut, while college students would still be facing tuition increases because of the more than $100 million cut to our public colleges and universities.
Hime said schools need that money back quickly so they can rehire teachers and support staff to prepare for the start of a new school year. “This is not a new revenue stream”. David Holt. “We need to address teacher pay, and we need to do it in the best manner possible, and I think the governor’s proposal is a good starting point”.
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“We have to be cognizant of the fact that Oklahoma is already one of the top five states in sales tax”, he said.
