Oklahoma House, Senate leaders remain at odds over budget
The House speaker has said a supplemental appropriation to OSDE would clear the path. Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat: “We don’t deal well with ultimatums. We still have the same position." The Oklahoma House and Senate leaders are at odds over the state budget, with both expressing confidence that differences will be resolved. This disagreement relates to pay raises awarded last year to teachers. Some 47 schools in districts that benefit from higher property taxes do not receive additional funding from the state. House Speaker Charles McCall suggests a supplemental appropriation for the State Department of Education could be achieved as early as next week. However, Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, who supports McCall's proposal, disagrees, stating that a supplement should not be required. McCall also emphasized that the House has more to resolve than just the teacher pay raise funding issue.
Published : 4 weeks ago by steve metzer, Steve Metzer Tulsa World in Politics
OKLAHOMA CITY — Disagreement over how the Legislature can move forward in crafting a state budget for the coming year remained apparent between the Senate and House on Thursday.
Leaders of both chambers, House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, and Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, both expressed confidence that differences will be worked out. In dueling press conferences, however, both indicated that common ground may be difficult to find on an issue that’s proven to be a sticking point.
It has to do with pay raises awarded last year to schoolteachers. Legal questions have been raised since then, both at the Oklahoma State Department of Education and in the House, about whether funding that was provided by the Legislature can be shared by schools in districts that benefit from higher property taxes. Some 47 such schools don’t receive extra funding from the state through its state aid formula.
“The House’s position has been that we need to address the shortfall and problems that we had with the 2024 budget before we start getting into the 2025 budget,” McCall said. “The issue at hand that we need to address (is) the 47 schools that did not receive money for teacher pay raises this year, (and) what needs to happen is we need to do a supplemental appropriation for the State Department of Education.”
McCall said that would amount to about $16.6 million and could be accomplished as early as next week via passage of a bill through a Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget.
McCall said he met with Treat on Thursday about the House setting the stage for that to happen.
In his press conference, though, Treat said a supplemental appropriation should not be required.
“We paid for it fully. It’s just a matter of whether or not they feel like they can actually allocate those resources,” the Senate leader said. “We’re committed to trying to solve it and fix it, but there’s no reason to hold up FY 25 budget negotiations.”
Treat said on Wednesday that the Senate wouldn’t hear any House bills dealing with appropriations until that chamber releases spreadsheets outlining its FY25 budget priorities and proposals.
“We don’t deal well with ultimatums,” Treat said. “We still have the same position, and I articulated it very clearly to (McCall), that until we get their numbers we can’t move forward on any of the House appropriations bills.”
McCall responded Thursday that the House and Senate have more to resolve than just the teacher pay raise funding issue.
“There were no ultimatums issued,” he insisted. “Once again, I just think it’s a situation where two parties’ communications were misinterpreted.
“We’re fine to share information,” McCall continued. “We are trying to get information from the Senate. The Senate passed a (budget) resolution, but it doesn’t balance with the bills that they sent to the House. So there’s a lot to discuss. Where we are in the budget process doesn’t have to do with the House not sharing information.”