2008 LEGISLATIVE
SESSION
In the end, the 2008 Oklahoma legislative
session was more about what didn’t happen than what did. Or
more specifically, what didn’t become law than what did.
Following is a quick look some of the bills OEA members
lobbied for or against during the session.
Did Not
Become Law
HB 3122 –
Extending the school day and/or year; converting school year
requirement from days to hours. No final action taken; law
remains 180 days, including 175 instruction days and five
professional days.
SB 2093 – Tax
credits for donations to private or religious school
scholarship fund (vouchers by any other name). Amended in the
Senate and defeated on the House floor.
HB 3390 – A
pay-for-test-scores pilot program that died when it wasn’t
heard in the Senate.
HB 2679 – Would
have added reasons teachers could be fired. No action
taken.
HB 2680 – Would
have removed teachers’ rights to appeal to district court
(trial de novo). No action taken.
HB 2681 – Would
have moved employment notification day to June 10. No action
taken.
HB 3146 – This
bill would have allowed teachers to be individually liable and
personally sued. Defeated on the House Floor.
SB 1024 – OEA’s
Teacher Protection Act. Vetoed by Gov. Henry because of tort
reform amendment added to the bill.
HB 2633 – Included
the so-called Religious Freedom Act. Vetoed by Henry because
those freedoms already guaranteed by the Supreme Court and the
new language would have created a number of unintended
consequences for schools and teachers.
Other issues that did
not become law included average regional pay for
teachers, pay raise for support professionals, money for
family health insurance for education employees, equitable
COLAs and increased health benefits for education retirees,
college tuition assistance, ABCTE (alternative certification),
and teacher evaluation changes.
Bills That
Did Pass
SB 1186 –
Healthy Kids bill adds 60 more minutes of physical activity
for elementary students, which can include physical education,
recess, exercise programs, fitness breaks, classroom
activities, wellness and nutrition. Signed by the
governor.
SB 2100 –
At one time, this bill had language which would have allowed
10 charter school districts, but that language was stripped
out and replaced with several other pieces. New language
allows school buses to be inspected once a year (instead of
within first 30 days of the school year), Native American
tribes will be allowed to take over elementary districts with
State Board of Education approval, and allows support
professionals with access to confidential labor relations
information to be removed from the bargaining unit. Signed by
the governor.
Other issues that did pass included
$18.5 million in new money for education. The money will help
fund the district’s portion of additional retirement
responsibility, pre-school programs in Oklahoma City and
Tulsa, and a 1 percent COLA for retirees for 2007-08 and
2008-09
