OKLAHOMA CITY — The verbal fight between the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma Senate continued last week, after House Speaker Charles McCall issued another media statement criticizing the Oklahoma Senate and its leader, Greg Treat.
Both McCall and Treat are Republicans.
The pair’s very public argument centers on education policy, tax incentives for private and homeschooled families and pay increases for public schoolteachers. And though both men agree that more needs to be done to support Oklahoma’s public educational system, the policy to provide that support has generated an ongoing series of threats and name calling between the House and Senate.
Last Wednesday, McCall issued a statement criticizing the Senate’s amendments to House Bill 2775. He called the changes made by the Senate ‘some win, most lose.’”
“As I’ve been saying all along, the Senate amendments to the House Education Plan do not support every student, every parent, every teacher and every school district in Oklahoma,” McCall said. “The more information that comes out, the more we see that the House plan is superior because it benefits every person in every part of our state. This is even more evident in light of the fact that the Senate has touted their plan as having a ‘more significant teacher pay raise’ than the House plan, when in fact their plan only provides full or partial raises for some, not all. The Senate plan is a ‘some win, most lose’ plan, and the numbers prove that fact.”
In March, McCall held a press conference to announce the House’s education package. During that event, McCall said the Senate should not amend the bills.
“We expect those to be heard as is,” McCall said. “We are open to the Senate’s ideas for education. If they have some priorities, the House is certainly interested in anything that benefits education in the state of Oklahoma. But those would need to be advanced in Senate. If the Senate actions are to amend those bills — we made it clear to them — they are voting to kill the legislation.”
McCall’s statement didn’t sit well with Treat, who called the threat asinine.
“That’s not the way this process works,” the Senate leader said. “We all know that. He (McCall) knows that. Last year, he made a bold statement at the beginning of session that he would not hear school choice. He’s changed his mind on that, and I’m glad.”
At the same time, the Senate tacked on several amendments to HB 2775.
McCall published an op-ed piece in many state newspapers criticizing the Senate’s amendments to HB 2775.
“As I’ve been saying all along, the Senate amendments to the House Education Plan do not support every student, every parent, every teacher and every school district in Oklahoma,” McCall said. “The more information that comes out, the more we see that the House plan is superior because it benefits every person in every part of our state. This is even more evident in light of the fact that the Senate has touted their plan as having a ‘more significant teacher pay raise’ than the House plan, when in fact their plan only provides full or partial raises for some, not all. The Senate plan is a ‘some win, most lose’ plan, and the numbers prove that fact.”
McCall said the Senate’s changes would prevent more than 43,000 teachers from getting a pay increase. On the same day that McCall’s statement was released, Treat issued a media statement of his call, “calling on House Speaker Charles McCall to end the political games and rhetoric surrounding the Senate and House education plans.”
The Speaker’s opinion piece, which targeted members of the Senate in their home districts, drew a terse response from Treat. He said the Speaker’s latest misinformation is further galvanizing Senate Republicans and is doing nothing to improve public education.
“If Speaker McCall wants to hide behind staff-drafted op-eds and not negotiate in good faith, or even bring up his objections to the Senate’s education plan in meetings we have together, I have no choice but to respond in-kind,” Treat said is his own media statement. “The Speaker is operating in a fantasy land. For him to continue to spread misinformation is disingenuous at best. Speaker McCall’s insecurities about the House plan are plain to see. He knows the Senate plan is better, he knew our chamber took a more thoughtful approach and he refuses to operate in transparency. Bullying members of my caucus and my Senate colleagues will not be tolerated.
Treat also doubled down on McCall’s ‘leave my bills alone’ threat.
“His ‘my way or no way’ approach is not how this building operates. The Speaker seems to be intent on torpedoing meaningful education reform, teacher pay raises and more choice for parents again this year. It is unfortunate and I hope he comes to his senses.”
The back and forth between the Speaker and the Senate Pro Tempore comes at the same time lawmakers are attempting to corner state Education Secretary Ryan Walters about his claims that school libraries contain pornography.
Last Monday, Walters sent letters to members of the legislation listing more than 100 books which he said don’t belong in public schools. Walters sent the letter after state Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, asked him to speak to the House Appropriation and Budget Subcommittee on Education. McBride said he wanted to see proof of Walters’ claims there were pornographic materials in public schools.
State lawmakers have until May 26 to finish their work.