Instead of finding a way to get static variables working, I prefer to simply create a getter function. Also helpful if you need arrays belonging to a specific class, and a lot simpler to implement.
class MyClass
{
public static function getTypeList()
{
return array(
"type_a"=>"Type A",
"type_b"=>"Type B",
//... etc.
);
}
}
Wherever you need the list, simply call the getter method. For example:
if (array_key_exists($type, MyClass::getTypeList()) {
// do something important...
}