Challenges To The Repeal Of Teacher Pay Raises Filed

More than a dozen education groups from around the state are banding together hoping to make sure teachers still get the raises they were promised.

I'll break down those two challenges in just a minute but they're both fighting a petition that's trying to repeal the taxes meant to fund teacher pay raises. The group behind that petition known as State Question 799 is Oklahoma Taxpayers Unite, led by former Senator Tom Coburn. The group says they don't want to take raises away from teachers but they don't want to raise taxes to fund teacher pay. 

As for those two challenges we've told you about, one before it is from the professional Oklahoma Educators Group which says the teacher raises can't be repealed because law was necessary for public safety.

The newest challenge is from the group Decline to Sign 799, a combination of a dozen groups and teachers from around the state. They say the petition to stop teacher raises would negatively affect the state because it would stop revenue from flowing into classrooms. 

The controversy about whether raises will still get to teachers has some school districts unsure about whether they can offer incoming teachers higher salaries. Because of that, the Supreme Court has put those hearings for both challenges on June 11.