The HCP Governance Board held a special town hall with board members, teachers, parents, students and two congressional representatives from Harding’s district Tuesday evening.

House Representative Jason Dunnington (D-Oklahoma City) and Senator Kay Floyd (D-Oklahoma City) met with members from all across the HCP community to talk funding and the ongoing walkout.

Dunnington emphasized the necessity of focusing on people’s needs rather than political needs.

“The teacher walkout is changing the conversation,” Dunnignton said. “If what is happening [the walkout] stops, you’ll get nothing else.”

Dunnington laid out some ideas for how to bridge the funding gap. He suggested repealing a capital gains tax exemption and restoring the highest income tax bracket to 2012 levels of 5.5% – just a quarter of a percent higher than it stands now. Though the House of Representative announced they would not hear a bill on capital gains, Dunnington estimates that the income tax hike would raise $160 million in revenue towards funding schools, while only raising the average household tax rate by $30.

Despite efforts by minority leader Scott Inman (D-Del City), the House has not heard debate on any of those proposed measures. The bill, SB 1086, was passed by the Senate 30-10 in mid March. Tuesday marked the sixth consecutive attempt to have the bill heard in the house that was voted down.

Floyd speculates that the comparably small size of the Senate, only 48 senators compared to 101 representatives, makes bipartisan cooperation easier in light of the necessary 75% majority for tax measures.

Two major pieces of legislation were sent to the governors mansion this past week, the “Ball and Dice” bill to expand and collect revenue on previously illegal gambling, and the “Amazon Tax” for online purchases.

The Ball and Dice measure would legalize Las Vegas style gambling such as roulette and dice games at Oklahoma’s casinos, which would bring in an estimated $20 million to bridge the current funding gap in Education spending.

The Amazon tax would force online retailers such as the bill’s namesake to collect sales tax for online purchases and direct that money to the Oklahoma legislature. This would bring in another $20 million by KFOR’s estimates, but neither of the two funding measures would expand the current education budget.

Despite progress on these two bills, a parent and public worker at the meeting expressed frustration with the lengths protesters have had to go to. “Educators and students have to go out and beg,” she said. “How long does it take you all to work a number? Why does it take this much to get your attention?”

Dunnington could only apologize to the parent.

Following the meeting the Governance Board voted to close school on a day-by-day basis, with yet another special meeting planned for the weekend to decide on further closures pending progress on school funding.