Bills aim to tackle teacher shortage, added options for maternity leave for teachers
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Lawmakers at the Capitol are having conversations about how to address a growing problem across the state. Bills heard in Tuesday's Senate Education Committee addressed the teacher workforce shortage.
House Bill 1485 concerns emergency teacher certifications. The legislation would allow emergency-certified teachers to spend more time in the classroom while working to become certified.
'Currently, they can only provide a temporary contract for four semesters. This should allow them to extend that contract until that certified teacher obtains full certification,' said Sen. Aaron Reinhardt (R-Jenks). 'It allows a lot of flexibility.'
Bill could cut Oklahoma's mandatory grocery, gas tax
Reinhardt is co-sponsoring the measure on the Senate side.
Nearly 5,000 emergency certifications have been handed out each year for the past two years in Oklahoma. It has been a short-term solution to a long-term problem.
The bill gained full support from the Senate Education Committee and passed unanimously. The next step will be consideration on the full Senate floor.
House Bill 1601 aims to give pregnant teachers more options.
'Choosing between your career or your family is an unfair choice,' said Sen. Adam Pugh (R-Edmond).
The bill will allow teachers to use six weeks of built-up sick leave after their allotted six weeks of maternity leave. The state enacted a law in 2023 giving teachers six weeks of paid maternity leave.
Representative Emily Gise (R-Oklahoma City) authored the legislation after complaints of school districts denying requests to use sick leave on top of maternity leave.'A teacher can say, 'Hey this is my first child, and I think it's going to take me eight weeks. I have a ton of saved-up sick leave. I've waited for this moment my whole life, and I'm ready to take it,'' said Gise. 'That is my intention with this bill, to have upfront conversations, and I hope that will help our workforce shortage with teachers.'
The committee gave it the green light and moved the bill forward with unanimous support. Its next step will be consideration on the Senate floor.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
New Jersey governor primary results in Republican and Democratic races
The polls close at 8 p.m. on June 10 primary day in New Jersey as voters went to the polls to select a candidate to represent the Democratic and Republican parties in the fall gubernatorial election. On the Republican side, the candidates are state Sen. Jon Bramnick, former Assemblyman and previous Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli, and former radio personality Bill Spadea. Two other Republican candidates, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac and Justin Barbera, are also on the June 10 primary ballot but did not qualify to participate in spring debates. The Democratic candidates are Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, NJSEA President and former Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney. Voting has been underway since mail-in ballots were sent out in April. Early in-person voting was held from June 3 through June is a look at the unofficial totals from the 21 county board of election websites. The vote totals reflect the data that was current as of the latest time stamp on this story and may not include early voting and vote-by-mail totals. Check back as the vote totals will be updated This article originally appeared on New Jersey governor primary results in Republican and Democratic races
The Hill
33 minutes ago
- The Hill
Mikie Sherrill wins Democratic primary in New Jersey governor's race
Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) has won the Democratic nomination for governor of New Jersey, coming out on top of a crowded field, according to Decision Desk HQ. Sherrill defeated five other major candidates for the nomination in a hotly contested primary to succeed two-term Gov. Phil Murphy (D), who is term limited. She entered the primary on Tuesday as the favorite given her polling lead that she's maintained in public and internal polls, including those from other candidates' campaigns. She also had the backing of most of the county parties in North Jersey, home to most of the state's population. County endorsements aren't quite as influential as they used to be with the state's 'county line' ballot system no longer in use, but they still carry some weight. The primary was an early test of political power in New Jersey without the county line, which a federal judge struck down last year on the grounds that it gave county-endorsed candidates favorable positioning on the ballot. Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop had railed against the county line and sat out county nominating conventions as he sought to advance a grassroots, outsider campaign. Sherrill will face Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who was also the 2021 GOP nominee, in the general election. Fulop was hoping to tap into antiestablishment sentiment seen in the state last year with the line going away and Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) managing to hold off New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy in the Democratic primary for Senate, running a similar grassroots campaign. As part of his wider efforts to reshape the state's politics, he backed a range of progressive candidates for state Assembly, including some incumbents and some primary challengers. He laid out extensive policy proposals and slammed Sherrill, accusing her positions of being vague and too moderate. But Fulop ultimately fell short to Sherrill, a fourth-term House member. Despite Sherrill's polling advantage, multiple candidates seemed like they could pull off an upset win. Most of the candidates in the race placed second in at least one poll and had paths to victory in what was expected to be a divided primary electorate. The candidates all brought extensive resumes and agreed on many issues, pushing to lower the cost of living, increase affordable housing and invest in renewable energy and education. But they tried to stand out in various ways to gain the advantage. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka ran as a progressive and received widespread attention for his arrest at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility last month while he was trying to observe conditions there. The charges against him were eventually dropped. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) focused much of his campaign on vows to lower costs and taxes in what is one of the most expensive states to live in the country. New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller touted his support from teachers, having led the large teachers union for a few years. Former New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney, the only candidate from South Jersey, emphasized his longtime experience in state politics and his institutional knowledge to get things done. Sherrill focused on her 'affordability agenda,' calling for incentives for developing new housing, streamlining the approval process for energy projects and expanding tax credits. She will face a challenge from Ciattarelli as he hopes to build on his narrow loss four years ago. He surprised many by only losing by 3 points to Murphy, and Republicans made significant improvements in the 2024 election in November in the Garden State. But Sherrill will start out as the favorite in the still left-leaning state. A trend that may benefit her is that New Jersey has elected a governor from the opposite party of the president in each election for decades except 2021. If elected, Sherrill would be New Jersey's second female governor.
Politico
37 minutes ago
- Politico
Most GOP lawmakers plan to skip Trump's big parade
President Donald Trump is celebrating the Army's 250th anniversary — and his own 79th birthday — with a massive, multimillion-dollar military parade Saturday in Washington. But one group of otherwise devoted Trump allies largely won't be there to celebrate: congressional Republicans. Among the 50 GOP lawmakers surveyed by POLITICO, only six said they planned to stay in Washington this weekend for the festivities. Those begging off include members of the Republican leadership in both chambers. The chairs of the House and Senate Armed Services committees, the top congressional officials overseeing the military, are skipping Trump's pageantry, which includes a flyover of vintage and contemporary warplanes. Instead, they'll attend a different air show — the annual defense industry confab in Paris. Among those attending will be some of Trump's most devoted House supporters, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. 'Yes, of course,' she said Tuesday. 'I'm going to be there for the 250th anniversary of the Army.' MAGA stalwarts Byron Donalds of Florida, Elise Stefanik of New York and Cory Mills of Florida also said they would attend, along with Reps. Rich McCormick of Georgia, John McGuire of Virginia and Lisa McClain of Michigan. But many more said they would beg off — choosing, as most members do, to stay away from Washington for the weekend. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Majority Whip John Barrasso are skipping, as is House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Sen. Tommy Tuberville said he'll be back in Alabama campaigning for governor. Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin said it's his anniversary, and 'I choose to be married.' Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee said the event conflicts with his daughter's 18th birthday. West Virginia Sen. Jim Justice said he's a no but added that doesn't 'mean that I'm against it.' 'It's great celebrating President Trump's birthday, and I think it's great celebrating the military,' Justice told reporters Tuesday. 'We haven't done that in a long time.' Among those skipping are several military veterans and members of the two Armed Services panels. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a former Air Force reservist, said Tuesday he's not planning to attend, though he left open the possibility. Other senators who have served in the military and are planning to sit out the celebration include Sens. Todd Young of Indiana, Rick Scott of Florida and Tim Sheehy of Montana. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast of Florida, another veteran, said Tuesday he's unsure whether he'll attend. Other prominent House Republicans are also skipping. House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris said he won't attend, though his home is less than a two-hour drive from D.C. House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole said he's heading home. 'It's celebrating the birthday of the Army and I think it's a good thing to do,' Cole said. 'I just didn't get to go home last week and I'd like to get to go this week.' Asked if he was attending, Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker of Mississippi said, 'I'll be at the air show' — an apparent reference to next week's Paris Air Show, where defense contractors peddle their latest wares. House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers of Alabama confirmed that's where he'll be. Speaker Mike Johnson's office did not respond to a request for comment on his plans. The White House is shrugging off the absences. An official granted anonymity to describe plans for the event said senior military leaders and at least 15 Cabinet members, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, are expected to attend. 'President Trump looks forward to a historic crowd at the Army Birthday Parade, where he will be joined by top military leaders, administration officials, congressional representatives, and most importantly, thousands of patriotic Americans to celebrate 250 years of honor, courage, and sacrifice by our United States military,' White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. Many Hill Republicans have shrugged off the parade's hefty price tag. But a few have raised concerns. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said in an Army budget hearing last week that the costs could range from $25 million to $40 million. He said he could not provide an exact estimate because the Army could not predict how much damage its tanks would do to the District's streets, potentially necessitating costly repairs. 'I don't want to take anything away from celebrating the anniversary of our armed forces if it helps with recruiting and patriotism,' Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington said in a brief interview. 'But it depends on what that number is. If it's $100 million, it causes one to pause.' Military leaders have defended the parade as a vital recruiting tool. But Democrats have railed against the administration for prioritizing pageantry over service members and their families. The parade, set to run along the north side of the National Mall, begins near the Pentagon — in the Virginia district represented by Democratic Rep. Don Beyer, who sees the event as a waste of money. 'Like his deployment of the military in L.A., it's a shocking waste of money at a time they are closing Social Security offices 'to save money,'' Beyer said in a statement. 'They're shutting down our regional transportation including the airport for this, and people I hear from in the military don't even want it, the whole thing is just to boost Trump's fragile ego.' Trump warned Tuesday that protesters who show up to the Saturday parade will be met with 'very big force.' Demonstrations to counter the parade are planned for other cities. Beyer said Trump's threat only added to 'the trappings of authoritarianism' the parade already carried. Roughly 6,600 troops are expected in Washington. The Army plans to roll 25 M1 Abrams main battle tanks and 150 vehicles down Constitution Avenue. A World War II-vintage B-25 bomber and P-1 fighter will join the parade, along with Vietnam-era Huey helicopters. Soldiers marching in the parade will wear uniforms from every conflict the U.S. has fought, from the Revolutionary War to the present day. Jordain Carney, Ben Jacobs and Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.
