Several education bills advance from state Senate

The Oklahoma Senate Education Committee passed several bills on Tuesday, including two key proposals that could impact school discipline and technology policies statewide.

Here is a breakdown of those bills:

SB 364: Ban on Corporal Punishment for Students with Disabilities

1. Sponsored by Sen. Rader and Rep. Moore.
2. Would prohibit the use of corporal punishment on any student identified with a disability.
3. Includes an emergency clause for immediate implementation if passed.

SB 139: Mandatory School Cell Phone Policies

1. Proposed by Sen. Seifried and Rep. Caldwell.
2. Requires school district boards to adopt formal cell phone policies.
3. Establishes a grant program to support implementation.
4. Includes an emergency clause for immediate implementation if passed.

“We know that phones are a distraction that are causing behavioral issues, and they are burning our teachers out so that's why I've arrived at the bill you see before you,” said Sen. Seifried. 

SB 6: Moving School Board Elections 

1. Proposed by Sen. Seifried and Sen. Thompson.
2. Moves local school board elections from April to November.

“We have really, really abysmal rates, I'm talking 2% and 3% so I really want to have more voices involved in the election process,” said Sen. Seifried. “My sole purpose in running this is to increase voter participation in these really really important elections.” 

SB 201: Increasing Teacher Salary

1. Proposed by Sen. Adam Pugh
2. Sets the starting salary for teachers at $50,000.00 and modifies other tiers of the salary schedule to reflect the change. 
3. Includes an emergency clause for immediate implementation if passed.

What’s Next?

1. The committee passed 12 bills in total during the 10 a.m. session.
2. The bills will move forward in the legislative process for further debate and voting. Any bill that has a fiscal impact will move forward to the Senate Appropriations Committee before it advances to the full Senate floor.