Oklahoma House passes bills in attempt to avoid teacher walkout
By Jordan Redman
Staff Writer
A plan to avert a teacher walkout on April 2 has been introduced to the Oklahoma House of Representatives on Monday.
The plan is a combination of several other plans, including the plan introduced by the Oklahoma Educators Association last week.
It would call for a 5-percent GPT retroactively on oil production, a 3-cent-per-gallon tax on gas and a 6-cent-per-gallon tax on diesel, $1-per-pack cigarette tax and $5-per-room hotel-motel tax.
HB1010XX summary: "An Act relating to revenue and taxation; stating purpose pursuant to the authority provided in Section 57 of Article V of the Oklahoma Constitution; imposing additional tax levy upon cigarettes; specifying amount of additional levy; providing for apportionment of revenues; exempting levy from inclusion in determination of certain amounts; requiring certain collections and administration of levy; amending 68 O.S. 2011, Sections 402, 402-1 and 402-3, which relate to tax levies on tobacco products; providing that little cigars be taxed in the same rate and manner as cigarettes; clarifying language; imposing additional tax levy upon chewing tobacco; specifying amount of additional levy; providing for apportionment of revenues; prohibiting certain acts; declaring levy as a tax on the consumer; imposing tax on gasoline and diesel fuel; establishing amount of tax on a per-gallon basis; requiring deposit of certain revenue, penalties and interest in certain fund; amending 68 O.S. 2011, Sections 1001, as last amended by Section 1, Chapter 5, 1st Extraordinary Session, O.S.L. 2017, and 1004, as last amended by Section 2, Chapter 355, O.S.L. 2017 (68 O.S. Supp. 2017, Section 1004), which relate to gross production tax; modifying rate imposed upon oil, gas or oil and gas; modifying exemptions and procedures related thereto; modifying apportionment of certain gross production tax revenues corresponding to gross production tax rate modification; enacting the Oklahoma Occupancy Tax Act; stating purpose of tax; defining terms; providing for rate of tax; imposing duty for remittance of tax and prescribing procedures related thereto; requiring Oklahoma Tax Commission to promulgate rules and to provide forms; providing for applicability of Oklahoma Sales Tax Code provisions and provisions of the Uniform Tax Procedure Code for administration of tax; requiring separate statement of tax amount; requiring payment by customers in same method as sales tax; providing for exemptions; providing for apportionment of revenues; repealing 68 O.S. 2011, Section 402-2, which relates to additional tax on tobacco products; providing for codification; and providing for noncodification."
HB1011XX summary: "An Act relating to revenue and taxation; amending 68 O.S. 2011, Section 2358, as last amended by Section 1, Chapter 235, O.S.L. 2017 (68 O.S. Supp. 2017, Section 2358), which relates to adjustments to Oklahoma taxable income and Oklahoma adjusted gross income; modifying provisions related to certain itemized deductions; imposing limitation on deduction amount; providing exceptions; and providing an effective date."
HB1013XX: "An Act relating to amusements and sports; amending 3A O.S. 2011, Section 262, as amended by Section 1, Chapter 115, O.S.L. 2017 (3A O.S. Supp. 2017, Section 262), which relates to state-tribal gaming; eliminating prohibition on certain types of gaming; prohibiting certain types of gaming; offering model tribal gaming compact supplement related to nonhouse-banked table games; defining terms; authorizing fees and seeding related to tribal administration of the games; providing model tribal gaming compact supplement and prescribing content thereof; prescribing procedures for electing acceptance of supplement; providing for certain construction of supplement; requiring payment of funds by tribes in certain amounts; allowing retention of funds by tribes in certain amounts; declaring certain conduct and participation lawful; amending 3A O.S. 2011, Section 280, which relates to offer of model tribal gaming contract; providing for apportionment of fees received by the state; providing for codification; and declaring an emergency."
HB1014XX summary: "An Act relating to transportation funding; amending 69 O.S. 2011, Section 1521, as last amended by Section 93, Chapter 15, O.S.L. 2013 (69 O.S. Supp. 2017, Section 1521), which relates to the Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety Fund; modifying calculation of certain annual apportionments under certain conditions; referencing additional apportionments; providing for deposit of certain funds in fund under certain conditions; amending 47 O.S. 2011, Section 1104, as last amended by Section 1, Chapter 272, O.S.L. 2017 (47 O.S. Supp. 2017, Section 1104), which relates to the apportionment of motor vehicle fees, taxes and penalties; modifying apportionments; providing certain amounts in excess of certain limits be credited to certain fund after a certain date; amending 68 O.S. 2011, Sections 500.6, as amended by Section 4, Chapter 375, O.S.L. 2013, 500.7, 704, 707.3 and 723, as amended by Section 8, Chapter 375, O.S.L. 2013 (68 O.S. Supp. 2017, Sections 500.6 and 723), which relate to apportionments of certain revenues; modifying destination fund for certain apportionments; providing for codification; providing an effective date; and providing for conditional effect."
HB1015XX summary: "An Act relating to revenue and taxation; amending 68 O.S. 2011, Section 500.10, which relates to exemptions from motor fuels tax; extending exemptions to additional tax levy; providing effective date; and providing for conditional effect."
HB1016XX summary: "An Act relating to health funding; creating the State Health Care Enhancement Fund; exempting fund from fiscal year limitations; identifying funding source; authorizing appropriations from fund for certain purpose; providing for codification; providing an effective date; and providing for conditional effect."
HB1018XX summary: "An Act relating to cigarette excise tax stamps; prohibiting sale of cigarette excise tax stamps to wholesalers in excess of certain amount; providing exception; providing for noncodification; and declaring an emergency."
HB1024XX summary: "An Act relating to state employee compensation; providing for salary increase for certain employees; specifying amount of salary increase; defining terms; providing salary increase to be provided to certain employee categories; providing for exclusion of certain employee categories; providing for contingent effect; providing for noncodification; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency."
Amendment to the amendment on HB1024XX: "“H. With respect to any employee who is not a full-time employee, the salary increase amounts otherwise authorized by subsection A of this section shall be pro rated using a methodology applicable to the employee’s compensation, weeks worked, months worked, hours worked or similar method.”
HB1026XX summary: "An Act relating to schools; providing for increase in compensation of certain support employees; prescribing amount of increase; providing increase in compensation as additional to certain other compensation and fringe benefits; providing for pro rata computation; providing for codification; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency."
HB1023XX summary: "An Act relating to teacher compensation; amending Section 3, Chapter 394, O.S.L. 2013, as last amended by Section 1, Chapter 59, O.S.L. 2017 (70 O.S. Supp. 2017, Section 18-114.14), which relates to minimum salary and benefits; modifying salary amounts; providing salary increases; requiring certain written notification and prescribing procedures related thereto; repealing Section 3, Chapter 394, O.S.L. 2013, as last amended by Section 1, Chapter 26, O.S.L. 2017 (70 O.S. Supp. 2017, Section 18-114.14), which relates to a duplicate version; providing for contingent effect; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency."
This plan would fund a $6,000 teacher pay increase and support state employee pay increases as well.
The Oklahoma Oil and Gas Association, which represents some of the state’s largest energy companies, issued a statement in opposition to the proposal even before it became public. Former U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, speaking for the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, also came out in opposition.
The Oklahoma Education Association said, "April 2 is still on. Our ask is still our ask. The House is considering a number of bills tonight that could be a step in the right direction. We’re still asking for a complete package, including funding for years 2 and 3."
The bills now head to the Oklahoma Senate.
The Gayly. March 26, 2018. 10:05 p.m. CST.