OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma House of Representatives’ teacher pay proposal moved to the floor calendar late Monday after winning approval from the Appropriations and Budget Committee.
Unlike the Senate, which has six live teacher raise bills, House leaders have concentrated their efforts on one — House Bill 1114, by Rep. Michael Rogers, R-Broken Arrow.
Rogers’ bill calls for raises totaling $6,000 per teacher over the next three years, beginning with a $1,000 bump in the 2017-2018 school year. Increases of $2,000 and $3,000 would follow.
Total cost of the proposal is $53.7 million in the first year and $316 million when fully implemented.
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Not surprisingly, some members wanted to know where House leaders think they will find that amount even as general revenue shrinks.
Rogers said the House will have “some opportunities to vote on some things, whether it be reforms or new revenue.”
Appropriations and Budget Committee Chairwoman Leslie Osborn, R-Mustang, was a little more blunt in her explanation. A few minutes later, while presenting a general pay raise bill for state employees, Osborn said, “My hope is that putting some of these (spending bills) out there, it will force people to look at the real numbers and consider broadening the tax base.”
Osborn, like Gov. Mary Fallin, favors casting a wider net to capture state revenue, especially with the state sales tax.
A few committee Republicans said they did not believe that overall funding to public schools has decreased in recent years, and Democrats cast doubt on GOP leaders’ ability to carry through on the promised raises. But the bill ultimately passed 26-2 and is now eligible to be heard by the full House.
Also Monday:
• The Appropriations and Budget Committee endorsed Osborn’s HB 1851, which provides for the first general increase in the state employee pay scale since 2007. The bill calls for a 10 percent adjustment to each “pay band” plus a $750 raise for most employees, at a total cost of around $33 million.
• HB 2245, by Rep. David Brumbaugh, R-Broken Arrow, which would change the formula for general revenue projections used in the budget-making process, also progressed from the Appropriations and Budget Committee.
• The committee also advanced Osborn’s HB 1837, which would give the Oklahoma Lottery Commission more flexibility in setting prizes, which in turn would produce more revenue to the lottery education fund.
Osborn said similar changes by other states have not increased total wagering but have helped state lotteries compete with multistate games such as Powerball and Mega Millions, which have larger jackpots but at much longer odds.
• The full House narrowly reversed itself on HB 1709, by Rep. Mike Ritze, R-Broken Arrow, which was voted down last week. The bill would bar health insurers from requiring hospital privileges from doctors in their provider networks.
The bill passed 52-45 on reconsideration Monday, with 51 votes needed for passage.
• The House Common Education Committee advanced several policy measures, including one that essentially would make third-grade reading evaluation teams permanent.
HB 1760, by Rep. Katie Henke, R-Tulsa, would eliminate the existing “sunset” provision for the teams, which were introduced several years ago as an alternative to a single reading test to determine whether third-graders advance to the next grade.
• Also passing was a measure that would direct development of individual career and academic plans for every public high school student and would make completion of the plan a requirement for graduation. HB 2155, by Rep. Jadine Nollan, R-Sand Springs, was described as a “tool” for counselors, students and parents.
• Voted out of an Appropriations and Budget Committee subcommittee was HB 1374, by Rep. Weldon Watson, R-Tulsa, which allows for the creation of special law enforcement districts that could levy property taxes for operations. The concept is popular with a number of municipalities that are struggling with declining sales-tax revenue.
Twitter: @rkrehbiel
