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MINUTES OF HOUSE EDUCATION
STANDING COMMITTEE
February 20, 2008
Room 445C, State Capitol Building

MEMBERS PRESENT:    Rep. Gregory H. Hughes, Chair
        Rep. Patrick Painter, Vice Chair
        Rep. Sylvia S. Andersen
        Rep. Brad Dee        
        Rep. Craig A. Frank
        Rep. James R. Gowans
        Rep. Kory M. Holdaway
        Rep. Bradley G. Last        
        Rep. Carol Spackman Moss
        Rep. Merlynn T. Newbold
        Rep. LaWanna "Lou" Shurtliff
        Rep. Kenneth W. Sumsion    
        Rep. Stephen Urquhart
        Rep. Mark A. Wheatley

MEMBERS ABSENT:    Rep. Becky Lockhart    
            
STAFF PRESENT:    Constance C. Steffen, Policy Analyst
        Linda Service, Committee Secretary
        Dee S Larsen, Associate General Counsel

Note: List of visitors and copy of handouts are filed with committee minutes.

Rep. Painter, Vice Chair, called the meeting to order at 8:10 a.m.

MOTION: Rep. Anderson moved to approve the minutes of February 18, 2008. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Last, Rep. Sumsion, Rep. Urquhart, and Rep. Wheatley were absent for the vote.

H.B. 475    Labor Organization Amendments (Rep. G. Hughes)

Rep. Hughes introduced the bill which amends provisions related to employee payroll deductions for labor organizations and provisions related to collective bargaining on behalf of public employees.

MOTION: Rep. Newbold moved to amend the bill as follows:

1.    Page 2, Line 51 through Page 3, Line 62 :    

             51          (2) (a) An employee may direct an employer, in writing, [that an employer] to deduct
             52      from the employee's wages a specified sum for union dues[, not to exceed 3% per month,] to be
             53      paid to a labor organization designated by the employee[.] if:

             54          
{   (i) the amount deducted for union dues per month does not exceed 3% of the

             55      employee's monthly wages;
             56          (ii)   }
  (i)       the employer promptly begins making deductions for union dues from the wages of

             57      the employee for the benefit of a labor organization when the employer receives a written
             58      communication from the employee directing that deductions begin; and
             59          
{   (iii)   }        (ii)       the employee is not under any agreement, contract, or obligation to continue

             60      payments or contributions to the labor organization
{   :

             61          (A)   } for any set period in excess of one month
{   ; or   }        .      

             62          
{   (B) in a total amount exceeding the monthly limit specified under Subsection (2)(a)(i).   }

The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Sumsion and Rep. Urquhart were absent for the vote.

The following spoke in opposition to the bill:
    Geoff Leonard, Utah School Employees Association
    Susan Kusiak, Utah Education Association
    Vic Arnold, Utah Education Association
    Debbie White, American Federation of Teachers

Mr. Arnold expressed appreciation to Chair Hughes for conducting the meetings of the House Education Committee in a fair manner.

MOTION: Rep. Newbold moved to move to the next item on the agenda. The motion failed with Rep. Anderson, Rep. Gowans, Rep. Holdaway, Rep. Moss, Rep. Newbold, Rep. Shurtliff, and Rep. Wheatley voting in favor of the motion.

MOTION: Rep. Dee moved to pass the bill out as amended with a favorable motion. The motion passed with Rep. Gowans, Rep. Holdaway, Rep. Moss, Rep. Shurtliff, and Rep. Wheatley voting in opposition.

H.B. 472    Charter School Building and Enrollment Amendments (Rep. K. Garn)

MOTION: Rep. Holdaway moved to delete in title and body H.B. 472 and adopt 1st Substitute H.B. 472. The motion passed unanimously.

Rep. Garn introduced the bill which modifies charter school provisions. Lincoln Fillmore assisted in

making the presentation.

MOTION: Rep. Hughes moved to amend the bill as follows:

1.    Page 3, Lines 67 through 69 :    

             67          (3) A charter school shall report to school districts, by the last business day in April,
             68      May, June, July, and August, the aggregate numbers of

  new       students, sorted by their resident school

             69      and grade level, who have accepted enrollment in the charter school.
The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Urquhart was absent for the vote.

The following spoke in support of the bill:
    Julie Adamic, State Charter School Board
    Paul Baltus, Merit Academy
    Paige Anderson, Providence Hall

MOTION: Rep. Holdaway moved to pass out 1st Substitute H.B. 472 as amended with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Urquhart was absent for the vote.

Rep. Hughes assumed the chair.

H.B. 325    Bullying and Hazing (Rep. C. Moss)

Rep. Moss introduced the bill which requires adoption of school policies relating to bullying and hazing.

MOTION: Rep. Moss moved to delete in title and body H.B. 325 and adopt 1st Substitute H.B. 325. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Dee, Rep. Frank, and Rep. Painter were absent for the vote.

Rep. Hughes turned the chair over to Rep. Urquhart.

Rep. Painter, Vice Chair, assumed the chair.

The following spoke in support of the bill:
    Cara Cerise, Highland High student
    Jacob Short, Legislative Coalition for People with Disabilities
    Marilyn Larsen, Utah PTA
    Janalee Tobias, concerned parent

MOTION: Rep. Dee moved to pass out 1st Substitute H.B. 325 with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Newbold, Rep. Urquhart, and Rep. Hughes were absent for the vote.

H.B. 284    Utah College of Applied Technology Revisions (Rep. K. Holdaway)

MOTION: Rep. Holdaway moved to delete in title and body 1st Substitute H.B. 284 and adopt 2nd Substitute H.B. 284. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Newbold, Rep. Shurtliff, Rep. Urquhart, and Rep. Hughes were absent for the vote.

MOTION: Rep. Holdaway moved to amend the bill as follows:

1.    Page 5, Lines 135 through 140 :    

             135          (iii) the Davis Applied Technology College Campus;
             136          
{   (iv) the Tooele Applied Technology Campus;   }

             137          
{   (v)   }        (iv)       the Mountainland Applied Technology College Campus;

             138          
{   (vi)   }        (v)       the Uintah Basin Applied Technology College Campus;

             139          
{   (vii)   }        (vi)       the Southwest Applied Technology College Campus; and

             140          
{   (viii)   }        (vii)       the Dixie Applied Technology College Campus.


2.    Page 17, Lines 501 through 503 :    

             501          (d) provide for open-entry, open-exit competency-based applied technology education
             502      programs, at the tuition rate approved
{   by the Utah College of Applied Technology   }        in accordance with the provisions under Subsection (5)       for adults

             503      and at no tuition cost to secondary students, that emphasize short-term job training or retraining

3.    Page 18, Lines 531 through 534 :    

             531      applied technology education in the region served by Salt Lake Community College, including
             532      access to open-entry, open-exit competency-based applied technology education programs at
             533      the tuition rate approved
{   by the Utah College of Applied Technology   }        in accordance with the provisions under Subsection (5)       for adults and at no

             534      tuition cost to secondary students.
    
  (5) For the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years, the Utah College of Applied Technology shall approve Salt Lake Community College's tuition rate for adult students who tranferred from the Salt Lake/Tooele Applied

Technology College Campus.      


The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Moss, Rep. Newbold, Rep. Shurtliff, Rep. Urquhart, and Rep. Hughes were absent for the vote.

Rep. Holdaway introduced the bill which modifies provisions relating to applied technology education, including merging part of the Salt Lake/Tooele Applied Technology College Campus with Salt Lake Community College.

The following spoke in opposition to the bill:
    Tom Bingham, Chair, Salt Lake/Tooele Applied Technology College Campus
    Greg Fredde, Merit Medical

The following spoke in favor of the bill:
    Dave Buhler, Interim Commissioner of Higher Education
    Christine Kearl, Governor's Office
    Cynthia Bioteau, President, Salt Lake Community College

MOTION: Rep. Urquhart moved to pass out 2nd Substitute H.B. 284 as amended with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Newbold and Rep. Hughes were absent for the vote.

H.B. 311    Higher Education Distance Learning Partnerships (Rep. B. Last)

Rep. Last introduced the bill which appropriates monies for videoconferencing equipment to expand higher education distance learning partnerships among Utah System of Higher Education institutions. Mike Peterson assisted in presenting the bill.

MOTION: Rep. Dee moved to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Newbold, Rep. Urquhart, and Rep. Hughes were absent for the vote.

MOTION: Rep. Holdaway moved to adjourn at 9:47. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Newbold, Rep. Urquhart, and Rep. Hughes were absent for the vote.

The following bill was not presented:

H.B. 350    Home School Amendments (Rep. C. Wimmer)




_____________________________
Rep. Gregory H. Hughes, Chair