Budget, teacher pay, Real ID face 2017 Oklahoma Legislature

Budget, teacher pay, Real ID face 2017 Oklahoma Legislature
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Oklahoma lawmakers will be confronted by familiar issues when they convene the 2017 Oklahoma Legislature.
Leaders of the Republican-controlled House and Senate say they’ll focus on their priorities when the four-month legislative session begins on Monday.
High on that list is coping with an $870 million state budget shortfall for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Republican Gov. Mary Fallin will call for “a major overhaul of our tax system” in her state-of-the-state speech to tap new revenue streams to help boost teacher pay and meet other needs.
Lawmakers also plan to raise teacher salaries that have not been increased since 2008, comply with a divisive federal anti-terrorism law involving identification cards, further relieve pressure on the state’s overcrowded prisons and address conservative social issues.