SB1604 is a targeted bill which takes money back only from poor working families. These Republicans took away a tax break that Gov. Frank Keating fought hard for. An odd coalition of Tea Party Republicans and the Democratic Caucus teamed up to try to kill this bill. The working lower income parents just got a few hundred dollars taken from them by the Republicans in the legislature, so the Teacher Union will not pick on the politicians as hard, in the upcoming elections. is a targeted bill which takes money back only from poor working families. These Republicans took away a tax break that Gov. Frank Keating fought hard for. An odd coalition of Tea Party Republicans and the Democratic Caucus teamed up to try to kill this bill. The working lower income parents just got a few hundred dollars taken from them by the Republicans in the legislature, so the Teacher Union will not pick on the politicians as hard, in the upcoming elections.

Teachers may get a pay raise, but the students' families may not survive economically. So much for bridging the transition off of govt. assistance! The House Democrats will surely exploit this decision as a campaign issue, but they are the chief proponents for giving massive pay raises to public school teachers. And the state just simply can't do both. The final vote tally for the bill was 51, in the 101 member House. The Tea Party Caucus in the Capitol seems to be just a few dozen strong, at best.