Lawmakers scheduled to vote on budget package

The Oklahoma House is expected to vote Monday on part of the Step Up Oklahoma budget package, which includes a $581.4 million tax increase.

Meanwhile, teachers are rallying at the Capitol to support a pay raise, which is part of the package and would be funded by higher taxes on motor fuel, cigarettes, oil and gas production and wind power generation.

Adoption of the plan would pave the way for the special session to end and the current year’s budget shortfall to be filled with one-time funds. It could also ease negotiations as lawmakers again try to find hundreds of millions of dollars to fill the shortfall for next budget year, which begins July 1.

One possibility, however, is that there won’t be a vote today. If it’s clear there won’t be enough votes to pass House Bill

1033, the tax bill, House Speaker Charles McCall may decide to withdraw it from consideration.

Major parts of the Step Up coalition’s plan were advanced in committee on Thursday. If the bills are adopted in the House, they would be voted on in the Senate sometime this week. Gov. Mary Fallin has indicated her support.

Teachers will begin rallying at 10:30 a.m. on the second floor of the state Capitol. House Bill 1030 would give them a $5,000 pay raise, with the money to pay for it coming from the new tax increases.