JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO. NOT THAT LONG. JESS THAT’S RIGHT. EARLIER THIS MONTH, THE HOUSE SPEAKER, CHARLES MCCALL, SAID THAT THE SENATE MADE ANY CHANGES TO THE HOUSE’S EDUCATION PLAN. THE HOUSE WOULD NOT HEAR ANY SENATE EDUCATION BILLS, BUT TONIGHT IT APPEARS THE SENATE IS NOT BACKING DOWN. WE ARE PREPARED NOT TO CONSIDER ANY FURTHER EDUCATION BILLS THIS SESSION UNTIL THOSE TWO BILLS ARE CONSIDERED ON THE SENATE FLOOR. THAT WAS THE THREAT FROM OKLAHOMA HOUSE SPEAKER CHARLES MCCALL EARLIER THIS MONTH, ADDING THAT HE WANTS TO SEE HIS EDUCATION PLAN GO UNAMENDED. IT’S ASININE. THAT’S NOT THE WAY THIS PROCESS WORKS. SENATE PRESIDENT PRO TEM GREG TREAT SAYS IT’S THE SENATE’S DUTY TO MAKE CHANGES. HE WAS ASKED ABOUT HIS PLANS FOR THE HOUSE’S EDUCATION PLAN ON THURSDAY. SO WE’RE TALKING ABOUT AMENDING THE BILLS THEY SENT US, BUT THAT’S NOT IN LIEU OF WHAT WE’VE ALREADY PASSED. POINTING TO 44 EDUCATION BILLS, HIS BODY HAS ALREADY PASSED OUT OF THEIR CHAMBER. THEY INCLUDE REFORMS LIKE MATERNITY LEAVE AND PAY RAISES FOR TEACHERS. I HOPE THAT REFORM ON FORCED UNION PARTICIPATION AND I WOULD HOPE SCHOOL BOARD REFORM I WOULD HOPE CHARTER SCHOOL REFORM. I HOPE THAT THEY WEREN’T SERIOUS ABOUT KILLING GOOD REFORMS THAT BEEN WORKED ON ALL OF YOU. THE GOVERNOR WHOSE SIGNATURE MAKES ANY LEGISLATION LAW CONTINUES TO BELIEVE THAT ALL OF THIS IS POLITICS AND THAT COOLER HEADS WILL STILL PREVAIL. HOWEVER, WHILE SPEAKING TO REPORTERS THIS MORNING, HE DID ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE SENATE HAS THE RIGHT TO CHANGE HOUSE BILLS. THAT’S NOT THE WAY THIS BUILDING WORKS. THE SENATE OBVIOUSLY IS A SEPARATE CHAMBER AND THEY’VE GOT THEIR OWN IDEAS. AND SO THEY’RE THEY’RE TWEAKING OR THEY’RE WORKING WITH IT OR THEY’RE PUTTING THEIR OWN REFORMS. AND THEN AND THEN I KNOW THAT THE HOUSE IS IS IS GOING TO LOOK AT THOSE THINGS THOUGHTFULLY. AND THE GOVERNOR, GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT WENT ON TO SAY HE BELIEVES THAT BOTH CHAMBERS, THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE CAN FIND AGREEMENT BECAUSE OF SHARED PRIORITIES.
Oklahoma House, Senate leadership still divided over education plans
Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat said he didn't agree with House Speaker Charles McCall's wish that his education plan should go unamended.
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Updated: 4:19 PM CDT Mar 24, 2023
The fight over education continued at the Oklahoma state Capitol this week, as leadership still hasn't agreed on what reform should look like. Earlier this month, House Speaker Charles McCall said, if the Senate made any changes to his education plan – which included tax credits and teacher pay raises – he would refuse to hear Senate education bills. But Senate leadership appears to not be backing down. | MORE | Both chambers have now passed their own education plan"We are prepared not to consider any further education bills this session until those two bills are considered on the Senate floor," said McCall, R-Atoka, at the beginning of March. Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said he didn't agree with McCall's wish that his education plan should go unamended. “It’s asinine," said Treat earlier this month. "That’s not how this process works."Treat said it is the Senate's duty to make changes. "So we’re talking about amending the bills they’ve sent us but that’s not in lieu of what we already passed," said Treat, pointing to 44 education bills that have already passed out of the Senate. These bills included reforms like maternity leave and pay raises for teachers. "I would hope that they weren’t serious about killing good reforms that we worked on all year," said Treat. Gov. Kevin Stitt, whose signature would make any legislation law, said these discussions are part of politics and that cooler heads will prevail. However, while speaking to reporters Friday, Stitt acknowledged the Senate has a right to change House bills. "That’s now how this building works," said Stitt. "The Senate obviously is a separate chamber, and they’ve got their own ideas. So they're tweaking with it or working on it and putting in their own reforms, and I know that the house is going to look at those things thoughtfully."Stitt said he believes both chambers will be able to find agreement because they all have the same priorities, which includes raising pay for teachers and establishing some sort of school choice program. Lawmakers will be back at the Capitol on Monday to continue work on legislation. Top HeadlinesGrand jury releases investigative report into Oklahoma County Detention Center, jail trustFormer McLoud teacher faces felonies for grooming, stalking at least 10 studentsCleveland County Sheriff's Office busts businesses for serving alcohol to minorsDog shot by officer after attacking people outside Oklahoma City store, police sayOne of nation’s largest food distributors shuts down system, impacting Oklahoma restaurantsNew details released about mysterious human remains found in Pottawatomie County
OKLAHOMA CITY — The fight over education continued at the Oklahoma state Capitol this week, as leadership still hasn't agreed on what reform should look like.
Earlier this month, House Speaker Charles McCall said, if the Senate made any changes to his education plan – which included tax credits and teacher pay raises – he would refuse to hear Senate education bills. But Senate leadership appears to not be backing down.
| MORE | Both chambers have now passed their own education plan
"We are prepared not to consider any further education bills this session until those two bills are considered on the Senate floor," said McCall, R-Atoka, at the beginning of March.
Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said he didn't agree with McCall's wish that his education plan should go unamended.
“It’s asinine," said Treat earlier this month. "That’s not how this process works."
Treat said it is the Senate's duty to make changes.
"So we’re talking about amending the bills they’ve sent us but that’s not in lieu of what we already passed," said Treat, pointing to 44 education bills that have already passed out of the Senate. These bills included reforms like maternity leave and pay raises for teachers.
"I would hope that they weren’t serious about killing good reforms that we worked on all year," said Treat.
Gov. Kevin Stitt, whose signature would make any legislation law, said these discussions are part of politics and that cooler heads will prevail. However, while speaking to reporters Friday, Stitt acknowledged the Senate has a right to change House bills.
"That’s now how this building works," said Stitt. "The Senate obviously is a separate chamber, and they’ve got their own ideas. So they're tweaking with it or working on it and putting in their own reforms, and I know that the house is going to look at those things thoughtfully."
Stitt said he believes both chambers will be able to find agreement because they all have the same priorities, which includes raising pay for teachers and establishing some sort of school choice program.
Lawmakers will be back at the Capitol on Monday to continue work on legislation.
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