House Dems Unsatisfied With Latest Teacher Pay Raise Bill

A state Senate plan to offer teachers a nearly 13 percent pay raise to prevent the walkout failed by just two votes late Wednesday night. 

3/15/2018 Related Story: Teacher Pay Raise Fails In Oklahoma Senate Vote

Senate Republican leaders said they plan to bring the bill back up if they can gather enough votes to pass it but the clock is ticking.

The Senate bill would have given teachers an average of $3-5,000 more every year by raising the tax on tobacco by a dollar a pack, raising the fuel tax by six cents per gallon, and raising the gross production tax from two percent to four percent.  

Even if Senate leaders can get enough support, it would also have to pass in the house and house democrats said you can count them out.

"It didn't come close to even meeting their first-year demands. Put no money in the classrooms, didn't give a raise to support personnel, and did some really crazy things with dedicating cigarette tax to teacher pay the first year then taking it away and giving it to healthcare in the second year," said Democratic Representative Emily Virgin. 

Sources told News On 6 legislative leaders are looking at other revenue sources to fund teacher pay raises like slashing some tax exemptions and raising the gross production tax to five percent.