Late Wednesday evening, the State Senate passed a pay raise bill that would provide a 12.7% pay increase for all state teachers and state employees (SB133), but then failed by two votes to garner enough support on HB 1033xx, the legislation that would have funded those raises.

Senator Darcy Jech, R-Kingfisher, issued the following statement:

“I’m frustrated we didn’t have enough votes to fund the mechanisms that would have provided the 12.7% teacher pay raise.  I was hopeful we’d have enough bipartisan support to pass the measure.”

OKLAHOMA CITY –   State Senator Micheal Bergstrom filed two bills this week aimed at helping to recruit and retain teachers in Oklahoma schools. 

Senate Bill 1188 would allow a certified classroom teacher to earn a tuition waiver worth 12 credit hours of resident tuition each year the teacher is employed by an Oklahoma public school district to be used for the postsecondary education of the teacher’s child or children. 

Oklahoma City - Freshman Senators Greg McCortney and Adam Pugh, along with House author Representative Mark McBride have filed a bill that will reform the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust. 

Oklahoma's Charter Schools Act of 1999 was amended in 2015, allowing charter school districts to expand beyond the OKC and Tulsa school districts into rural areas. However, embedded within the 2015 amendment was a loophole which allows an appeal to the unelected State Board of Education (SBE) to approve a charter
school district after it had been twice rejected by the locally elected school board.

State Senator Adam Pugh was presented with the Rising Star award at the State Chamber of Oklahoma’s Public Affairs Forum on December 12 in Oklahoma City.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Ron Sharp is concerned about the level of education being taught in Oklahoma’s public charter schools since charter school teachers are not required to be certified under current federal law.  For this reason, he has filed Senate Bill 881 to require all public schools, both traditional and charter, to employ only certified teachers and that those individuals only be allowed to teach the subjects in which they are certified.  read more.

First term State Senator James Leewright has been appointed to chair the Senate Business, Commerce and Tourism Committee.  Senate Pro Tempore Mike Schulz announced he tapped the Bristow Republican for the position last week. 

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Ron Sharp recently joined the state Department of Corrections and the Mabel Bassett Correctional Center in honoring four of the facility’s outstanding correctional employees. 
Those honored included Lt. Clint Bennett of Midwest City, Capt. Christopher Burchett of Shawnee, Sgt. Robbie Hicks of McLoud, and Corporal Daniel Pianalto of Choctaw.  read more.

State Senator Micheal Bergstrom visited the Home of Hope in Vinita this week, where he toured the facility and had the opportunity to see firsthand the various programs the organization has to offer.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Ron Sharp recently received the 2017 Outstanding Rural Legislator Award from the Organization of Rural Oklahoma Schools for his tireless support of rural schools.  read more.