Senate Pro Tem Treat responds to House Education votes

Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, today issued the following statement after the Oklahoma House of Representatives rejected the largest teacher pay raise in state history, while holding school choice hostage in the lower chamber.

“It is beyond disappointing that the Oklahoma House of Representatives chose to unanimously reject the largest teacher pay raise in state history on Teacher Appreciation Day, of all days,” said Pro Tem Treat. “The Senate is committed to fighting for our hard-working teachers to get them the pay raise they deserve. I encourage every teacher in the state to ask their House members and Speaker Charles McCall why they didn’t want them to get a pay raise this year.

“Further, the unprecedented move to hold the school choice legislation hostage until the Senate agrees to pass the constitutionally questionable Oklahoma Student Fund and other pet projects is also a non-starter for the Senate Republican caucus. The plan we sent them treats every student the same no matter what their zip code is. Their plan with the Oklahoma Student Fund is to disproportionately give kids in certain areas (for instance, Atoka Public Schools) more money than all others. Their plan is a ridiculous and shameful notion that segregates children. The Senate is simply saying – treat every kid the same.

“The mantra from the House has been every student, every parent and every teacher. The House today cut teachers completely out of getting a pay raise, and is holding the school choice legislation captive, and if the Senate doesn’t do what they want, they will come back in and kill the school choice legislation.

“In reality, the only thing the House of Representatives is doing for every student, every parent and every teacher is telling them they are not worth being taken serious and they are more interested in playing a zero-sum game where no one is going to win.

“For these reasons and more, is why I continue to call for House Speaker Charles McCall, Governor Kevin Stitt and Superintendent Ryan Walters to join me in a public meeting on all of the plans on the table and let the public see what we continue to argue about.”