President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan and Senate Democratic leaders are moving forward with a progressive "education" budget – after weeks of stone-walling by state House Republican leaders.

"We can't allow Republicans to shortchange the classroom," said Morgan, D-Stillwater. "With more than half a billion dollars in surplus, school children deserve an unprecedented investment in their education. House Republicans seem to be licking their chops to give tax cuts to big business and the wealthiest Oklahomans, but we're going to ensure that every available dollar is invested in the future of our school children."

Morgan and Senator Johnnie Crutchfield, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said recent statements by House Republicans declaring absolutely no areas of agreement on the state budget have led them to their decision to “start over with an even greater emphasis on education.”

"With everything off the table we’re free to make an historic investment in future generations of Oklahomans,” said Crutchfield, D-Ardmore.

"We won’t let Republicans block increased investment in both public schools and higher education," said Morgan. "Maintaining the status quo isn’t good enough. We need to provide our school children and our educators with every possible tool to be successful."

Crutchfield said he would begin the new process this week by introducing new appropriations bills for both
common and higher education.

The Senate public schools appropriation bill will include a $170 million increase over current funding levels.

It includes money to fund:
• The first phase of Governor Henry’s plan to increase teacher salaries to the regional average;
• The governor’s Achieving Classroom Excellence accountability initiative;
• Full-day kindergarten for Oklahoma’s youngest learners;
• And an additional $25 million in the state aid formula giving local school districts the power to fund programs that fulfill their unique needs.

In Higher Education, Senate leaders intend to increase funding to the State Regents for Higher Education by $85 million over current levels.

“This insures that tuition at state colleges and universities will remain within the budgets of working Oklahoma families. The House’s budget would cause double-digit tuition increases,” Morgan said.

“Our budget will fully fund the Oklahoma Higher Access Learning Program and curb the skyrocketing increases in tuition costs,” Crutchfield said. “We must do all we can to make sure that no qualifying young person who dreams of going to college is turned away for financial reasons.”

Senator Jay Paul Gumm, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said Republicans in the House wouldn’t be so opposed to making an historical investment in education if they weren’t so determined to roll back the taxes for the rich.

In a news release pointing out this is tax deadline week, Republican leaders said their tax plan would, “help” any working family that makes more than $10,000 a year.

“That is their seductive, half-truth about the bill,” Gumm asserted. “The whole truth is rolling back the overall tax rate gives a working family making $50,000 a year less than $100 a year in reduced taxes. At the same time, a millionaire family - making 20 times more than that working family – would get a tax cut that is 42 times greater than the working family.”

Gumm said it’s almost comical that Republicans are accusing Senate Democrats of spending the state into the ‘poorhouse,’ when their giveaways to the rich would virtually gut important programs on which Oklahomans depend while robbing working families of a true chance to share in the full promise this state has to offer.

Their radical agenda that would damage generations of Oklahomans is pushing the state dangerously close to a Gingrich-style government shutdown.

"We can’t let tax cuts for millionaires eat away at the dollars we invest in our public school classrooms and college campuses," said Crutchfield. "Tax cuts for millionaires should not replace renewed investment in a better tomorrow for our children. Every dollar House Republicans want to give in tax cuts to the wealthy is another dollar we could be investing in our schools.”

For more information contact:
Senate Communications Office- (405) 521-5774