Okla. Governor Vetoes High-Profile Reform Measure

By Jessica Portner

Republican Gov. Frank Keating of Oklahoma landed the latest blow in a protracted feud with the Democratic-controlled legislature and the state's largest teachers' union last month when he vetoed a high-profile school-reform bill.

The measure, sponsored by Democratic leaders, would have guaranteed a long-anticipated 8 percent salary hike for thousands of experienced teachers who are paid the minimum allowable wage in the state. Oklahoma currently ranks 47th in the nation in teachers' salaries, according to the Oklahoma Education Association.

The bill also would have set up a $6 million professional-development program for teachers and a $1 million...