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SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Room W130, West Office Building, State Capitol Complex
Members Present: Sen. Margaret Dayton, Committee Chair
Sen. Greg Bell
Sen. Pat Jones
Sen. Darin Peterson
Sen. Ross Romero
Sen. Howard A. Stephenson
Members Excused: Sen. Curtis Bramble
Sen. Lyle Hillyard
Staff Present: Phillip V. Dean, Policy Analyst
Dee S. Larsen, Attorney
Norda Shepard, Secretary
Public Speakers Present: Rep. Roger E. Barrus
Rep. DeMar "Bud" Bowman
Rep. Ron Bigelow
Rep. Scott Wyatt
Sarah Wright, Director, Utah Clean Energy
Vic Arnold, Utah Education Association
Kirk Wright, Utah School Boards and Utah Superintendents Associations and Juab School District
Sharon Lay, Utah State Office of Education
Holly Langton, Utah PTA
Chad Platt, Association of Prosecutors
Steve Peterson, Utah School Boards and Utah Superintendents
Associations
John Reidhead, Director, Division of Finance
Mark Spencer, Associate Commissioner, State Board of Regents
A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.
Due to computer connection problems, the meeting started late and Chair Dayton turned the chair to Sen. Bell.
Acting Chair Bell called the meeting to order at 2:15 p.m.
MOTION: Sen. Peterson moved to approve the minutes of February 19, 2007. The motion passed unanimously with Chair Dayton and Sens. Jones and Stephenson absent at the time of the vote.
1. H.B. 351 Revolving Loan Fund for Certain Energy Efficient Projects
Rep. Barrus presented the bill and distributed a handout. Sarah Wright, Utah Clean Agency; Vic Arnold, Utah Education Association; and Kirt Wright, Utah State School Boards and Utah Superintendents Association and Juab School District, spoke in support.
Rep. Barrus proposed amendments.
MOTION: Sen. Stephenson moved to amend H.B. 351, Revolving Loan Fund for Certain Energy Efficient Projects, with the following amendments:
1. Page 1, Lines 15 through 16 :
15
{
local
}
school districts;
16 . establishes the revenue and use of the fund;
2. Page 2, Line 58 through Page 3, Line 60 :
58 (4) (a) The board shall make loans from the fund
only
to
{
local
}
school
districts to finance
59 energy efficiency projects in
{
local
}
school district buildings, including paying the
costs of
60 construction, engineering, investigation, inspection, and other related expenses.
3. Page 3, Lines 61 through 64 :
61 (b) The board may not:
62 (i) make loans from the fund to finance a school district's compliance with the energy
63 code in the construction of a new building;
{
or
}
64 (ii) make a loan from the fund with a term of less than two years or more than 12 years
; or
(iii) make loans from the fund to any entity other than a school district
.
4. Page 5, Lines 136 through 136a
House Committee Amendments
2-5-2007 :
136 There is appropriated H. from the
{
General
}
Uniform School
Fund .H
for fiscal year 2007-08 only,
136a$5,000,000 to the Energy Efficiency
The motion passed with Sen. Romero voting in opposition and Chair Dayton absent at the time of the vote.
MOTION: Sen. Stephenson moved to pass H.B. 351, Revolving Loan Fund for Certain Energy Efficient Projects, out of committee with a favorable recommendation as amended.
The motion passed with Sen. Romero voting in opposition and Chair Dayton absent at the time of the vote.
2. S.B. 222 Kindergarten Readiness Initiative
Sen. Stephenson presented the bill. Sharon Lay, pre-kindergarten specialist, State Office of Education, answered committee questions and spoke in support. Vic Arnold, Kirt Wright, and Holly Langton, Utah PTA, spoke in support.
MOTION: Sen. Jones moved to pass S.B. 222, Kindergarten Readiness Initiative, out of committee with a favorable recommendation.
The motion passed unanimously with Chair Dayton absent at the time of the vote.
3. H.B. 100 Accessing Pornography on School Property
Rep. Bowman presented the bill. Chad Platt, Association of Prosecutors, answered committee questions. Steve Peterson, Utah School Boards and Utah Superintendents Associations, spoke in support.
MOTION: Sen. Jones moved to pass H.B. 100, Accessing Pornography on School Property, out of committee with a favorable recommendation.
The motion passed unanimously with Chair Dayton and Sen. Stephenson absent at the time of the vote.
MOTION: Sen. Jones moved to place H.B. 100, Accessing Pornography on School Property, on the Consent Calendar.
The motion passed unanimously with Chair Dayton and Sen. Stephenson absent at the time of the vote.
4. H.B. 323 Education Fund Conforming Amendments
Rep. Bigelow presented the bill. John Reidhead, Director, Division of Finance, helped answer committee questions. Rep. Bigelow proposed a substitute bill.
MOTION: Sen. Romero moved to delete in title and body H.B. 323, Education Fund Conforming Amendments, and replace it with 2nd Sub. H.B. 323, Education Fund Conforming Amendments.
The motion passed unanimously with Chair Dayton and Sen. Stephenson absent at the time of the vote.
MOTION: Sen. Romero moved to pass 2nd Sub. H.B. 323, Education Fund Conforming Amendments, out of committee with a favorable recommendation.
The motion passed unanimously with Chair Dayton and Sen. Stephenson absent at the time of the vote.
MOTION: Sen. Romero moved to place 2nd Sub. H.B. 323, Education Fund Conforming Amendments, on the Consent Calendar.
The motion passed unanimously with Chair Dayton and Sen. Stephenson absent at the time of the vote.
5. H.B. 195 Higher Education Tuition Assistance Amendments
Rep. Wyatt presented the bill. Mark Spencer, Associate Commissioner, State Board of Regents, spoke in support.
MOTION: Sen. Jones moved to pass H.B. 195, Higher Education Tuition Assistance Amendments, out of committee with a favorable recommendation.
The motion passed unanimously with Chair Dayton and Sen. Stephenson absent at the time of the vote.
MOTION: Sen. Jones moved to place H.B. 195, Higher Education Tuition Assistance Amendments, on the Consent Calendar.
The motion passed unanimously with Chair Dayton and Sen. Stephenson absent at the time of the vote.
MOTION: Sen. Romero moved to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously with Chair Dayton and Sen. Stephenson absent at the time of the vote.
Acting Chair Bell adjourned the meeting at 5:15 p.m.
Minutes were reported by Norda Shepard, Secretary.