Pitiful Priorities

POSTED BY ARNOLD HAMILTON

Your state representatives worked extra long hours this week. Three days they started at 9 a.m. and didn’t wrap up the rhetorical festivities until the supper hour.

They engaged in extended, spirited debate before the Republican majority rammed through bills that would:

1] Expand the state’s college scholarship program to home-school graduates;

2] Give lawmakers an option other state employees don’t have [to opt out of the state’s health insurance plan]; and

3] Tighten restrictions on emergency room abortions [even though the author herself conceded there is no evidence current law is being violated].

What lawmakers couldn’t find time to do was resolve the $58 million-$75 million budget crisis paralyzing the state’s public schools, even though they promised nine months ago to fix the problem.

Teachers and staff are being laid off. Class sizes are being increased. Programs are being cut. School boards are tabling next year’s hiring decisions.

All because state lawmakers mandated, but didn’t fully fund, a $3,000 teacher pay raise and related costs last year. They called it an oversight and pledged to cough up the money when the 2007 session opened in February. So far, nothing.

School superintendents are so desperate to keep their districts afloat that more than 100 descended on the state Capitol to plead for the promised money. But they couldn’t get an audience with Republican House Speaker Lance Cargill, whose calendar was booked. Think the State Chamber of Commerce would be treated similarly?

What the supes who filled much of the House gallery got was a front-row seat at the Theater of Misplaced Priorities: They watched lawmakers rasslin’ over the latest incumbent protection act – a scheme that would have prevented would-be sheriff’s candidates from even filing for office unless they already had completed the state’s 375-hour law enforcement training program [at a cost of more than $1,000].

State Rep. Jerry McPeak, D-Warner, tried to persuade GOP leaders to allow a vote on his Honesty in Funding Education Act [HB1935], which would have covered the un-funded mandates. But he was shot down.

[Cargill said Thursday he believes House and Senate negotiators are very close to striking a bi-partisan budget deal that will include a fix for the school funding crisis.]

Meanwhile, school superintendents and school boards, students and patrons worry whether top-notch teachers – afraid they won’t be rehired next year because of budget woes – will accept contract offers from other states.

Educators are left to pondering something else: The House didn’t make time to debate McPeak’s bill, but on Thursday, it did manage a vote – 60-39, mostly along party lines – to speed up $60 million in income tax cuts.

“That amount alone would make our schools whole,” lamented House Minority Leader Danny Morgan, D-Prague.

Only one Republican voted against the tax cuts: Stillwater Rep. Terry Ingmire, who will be leaving office because of term limits after next year.

Five Democrats broke with their caucus to support the tax cuts: Rep. Terry Harrison of McAlester; Rep. Scott Inman of Del City; and Rep. Lucky Lamons, Rep. Eric Proctor and Rep. Jabar Shumate, all of Tulsa.

Priorities, loud and clear.