Oklahoma Eagle Newswire
OKLAHOMA CITY – The state House Representatives passed a bill Tuesday, March 7, 2017, that would give teachers pay raises over the next three years, but with no way to fund the raises and no guarantee that the raises will remain in place after this year. House Bill 1114, by State Rep. Michael Rogers, chair of the House Common Education Committee, passed 92-7. Rogers says, “This plan can be funded and is doable. Rogers’ wife is a teacher and he states he understands the issue. Many democrats made it known this mandate is unfunded. A solely republican task force was set up to devise a plan to fund the teacher pay raise. No plan for money has been forthcoming.
Democrats have offered a plan which includes restoring oil and gas gross production taxes that have decreased over the years from 7 percent to 2 percent. An increase of 5 percent would provide approximately $400 million in revenues. The bill includes a $1,000 pay raise for teachers during the 2017-18 school year. Another $2,000 raise during the 2018-19 school year would be given and the final $3,000 raise during the 2019-20 school year.
Roger says every $1,000 increase in teacher pay would cost an approximately $53 million. The bill now moves to the senate.
