Last night, The House of Representatives passed a series of bipartisan bills which address teacher pay, education support staff pay, state employee pay, and enact the entire 2018-2019 common education budget off the House Floor. The revenue measure which pays for all of this received the 75% majority required on revenue raising measures and now heads to the Senate for their consideration. This package would provide the following:
– $6,000 teacher pay raise. (A first year would receive a raise of $5,435 per year, a 25 year teacher would receive a raise of $9,628)
– $51 million for education support staff pay raises. (Average raise of $1,500)
– $61 million for state employee pay raises. (Average raise of – $1,800)
– $50 million directly through the funding formula for additional educational funding. (To be used for reducing classroom size, purchasing new textbooks, technology, etc.)
The revenue raising package includes:
– 5% Gross Production Tax (GPT) on wells currently at 2%.
– Additional $1.00 tax on cigarettes.
– Additional 3 cent tax on gasoline, 6 cent tax on diesel. (Exempts Red dye agricultural diesel)
– Caps the itemized income tax deduction at $17,000. (Exempts medical expenses)
– Places a $5 fee per room, per night on hotel and motel rooms.
