OKLAHOMA CITY - The Senate is several hours away from passing a possible bill that could put $20 million into the public education fund, after the House passed the Amazon tax bill Wednesday night.
Teachers thought House Bill 1019 would be discussed in the Senates special session this morning, but the Senate claims that was misinformation.
The Senate is now saying the House made a mistake, but that didn't stop teachers from packing the fifth floor of the Capitol.
“We’re in a time of distrust in this building and I’m fully with the public on that,” Oklahoma Senator J.J. Dossett said. "Teachers cannot go home and live with the conditions for the last 10 years."
The latest problem everyone is facing is that the constitution states the bill has to be in the Senate for 24 hours before it’s eligible to be heard.
“We’re not going to back down until our legislators know that we need to put some stock into other places from where they had been putting it,” Hulbert teacher Eric Romine said.
If passed, Dossett said, “the amendment, which was added last night, will make sure that $20 million goes to education.”
In the end it would help teachers with textbooks, supplies and essentials for the classroom.
“We’ve passed things, that's the easy part and we’ve spent the money," Dossett said. "But making sure the money is there is the next part and I believe we’re still quite a bit short.”
But teachers don’t want to hear excuses, they want to see the money.
There are two senate sessions Friday and if the Amazon tax passes, it’s off to Governor Mary Fallin’s desk.
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