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Posted: Apr 06, 2018 5:42 PMUpdated: Apr 06, 2018 5:43 PM

State Senate Passes More Revenue Bills

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Evan Fahrbach

The Oklahoma Senate finished business on Friday with three votes related to the Oklahoma Teacher Walkout. 

Just before noon, the Senate passed HB1019, the Amazon Reseller Sales Tax which is expected to generate $20 million per year in extra revenue.  Bartlesville’s Julie Daniels voted in favor of this bill along with JJ Dossett of Owasso and Eddie Fields of Osage County. 

After lunch, the Senate Debated HB 3375 relating to legalizing “Ball and Dice” expanded gambling at Oklahoma Tribal Casinos.  Fees from Ball and Dice are estimated to be $24 million and passed the Senate 29-16, with Daniels voting against the bill and Dossett and Fields voted for the measure. 

Last, the Senate voted on repealing the HB1010 Hotel Motel Tax as agreed to last week.  Overwhelmingly, the Senate voted to repeal the sections of HB1010 relating to the Hotel Motel Tax. That would have generated an estimated extra revenue of $47 million.  Daniels and Fields voted for the repeal while Dossett voted against. 

Governor Mary Fallin will have an opportunity to veto that bill.

Daniels says that the money is now totally in place to fund the teacher pay raise bill that passed last week, and it puts the state in a competitive spot going forward.

In response, the Bartlesville School Board held an emergency meeting this afternoon and announced it would not have enough teachers available to have school on Monday.

Oklahoma Education Association President Alecia Priest said the walkout will continue into next week unless Governor Fallin vetoes the Senate’ s repeal of the Hotel Motel Tax and the legislature ends the capital gains exemptions - that would generate an estimated additional revenue of $120 million.

Daniels says that the first bill is totally funded, and should be seen as a win for the teachers, and that it is time to get back to school.

Locally, Bartlesville, Caney Valley and Pawhuska have already canceled classes for Monday. 


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