Oklahoma teachers will continue their walkout into next week

Oklahoma teachers are poised to continue their walkout into at least next week, despite a busy day on the Oklahoma state Senate floor that yielded a series of bills adding to the funding of a $447 million revenue bill they hope will break the strike.

Hundreds of teachers stood in the rotunda just outside the Senate chambers, chanting “Pass this bill” as the votes took place.

The Senate ultimately sent three bills to Gov. Mary Fallin to sign that would require Amazon and other online retailers to collect sales taxes on purchases in the state, and imposes a new, controversial “ball and dice” tax on state tribal casinos.

The so-called “Amazon bill” would bring in $19.6 million in 2019, money that would go exclusively toward funding education.

The “ball and dice” bill would allow an expansion of gaming in state tribal casinos and would tax 10 percent of the net proceeds of the games, yielding an estimated $24 million in 2019. About $21.1 million, or 88 percent, is earmarked for education funding, and the rest would go to a general revenue fund.

“The passage of clean versions of the ‘ball and dice’ legislation, HB 3375, and the Amazon tax bill, HB 1019xx, were vital to Oklahoma students,” said Oklahoma Education Association President Alicia Priest in a statement. “Because of the educators, parents and students who have taken to the Capitol this past week, the new funding for Oklahoma’s students nearly doubled to $92 million.”

The union wasn’t as happy about the Senate‘s decision to repeal a $5-per-night hotel/motel tax that had been passed in the original revenue package. The tax was expected to bring in $46.2 million.

“This revenue source would provide much needed additional funding for students, is widely supported by the public, and would be paid for by non-Oklahomans. We call on Governor Fallin to immediately veto HB 1012xx because it steals $42 million in funding away from Oklahoma’s students,” Priest said.

Many school districts have already decided to close Monday to continue the fight for greater education funding, including in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Owasso Public Schools are closing for the entire week.

In the statement from Priest, the Oklahoma Education Association also detailed what state legislators can do to bring the walkouts to a close.

“On Monday, Legislators must bring the bill that closes the capital gain loophole for the wealthy to the floor for a vote, and they must pass it. They can end this walkout with the passage of Senate Bill 1086, which will provide significant and much-needed funding for students,” she said.

Until then, the teachers will be waiting outside.

Cover image: Demonstrators hold signs that read 'Teachers' during a strike outside the Oklahoma State Capitol building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., on Tuesday, April 3, 2018. Hundreds of teachers crowded into the Oklahoma Capitol for a second day Tuesday to press demands for additional funding for the state's public schools. Photographer: Scott Heins/Bloomberg via Getty Images