Link to Zipped WordPerfect Minutes 7K bytes

MINUTES OF THE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 8:00 a.m.
        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.W. Hillyard
                                
Staff Present:            Phillip V. Dean, Policy Analyst
                Connie Steffen, Policy Analyst                                 Dee S. Larsen, Attorney
                Joan Tiffany, Secretary

            
                    
Public Speakers Present:    Senator Dan. R. Eastman
                Larry Shumway, Deputy Supt.,Utah State Office of                          Education(USOE)
                Susan Kuziak, Utah Education Association(UEA)
                Ronald Mortensen, Citizens' Coalition of Tax Fairness(CCTF)
                Steven Peterson, Utah School Boards Association & Utah School                         Superintendents Association(USBA & USSA)
                                
A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.

Chair Dayton called the meeting to order at 8:10 am

1.    S.B.0048 Equalization of School Capital Outlay Funding

    Sen. Eastman presented the bill.

    1st. Sub. S.B. 48 was distributed to the committee.

     MOTION:    Sen. Bell moved to substitute S.B.48 with 1st.Sub.S.B. 48.

    The motion passed unanimously. Sens.Jones and Stephenson were absent for the vote.


    Mr. Dean explained the changes to the substitute bill.

    Sen. Eastman addressed the questions of the committee.

    Larry Shumway, Deputy Supt. USOE, stated opposition to the use of income tax dollars     for this bill.     

    Susan Kuziak, Exec.Dir., UEA, opposed the use of income taxes for this bill.

    Ronald Mortensen, CCTF, opposed the potential impact of property taxes resulting from     the bill.

    Steve Peterson, USBA/USSA, spoke in favor of the bill.    

     MOTION:    Sen. Peterson moved to send 1st. Sub.48 out of committee with a          favorable recommendation.

    After committee discussion, the motion passed unanimously.

2.    S.B.35 Differentiated Pay for Teachers

    Sen. Stephenson presented the bill.

    A handout was distributed to the committee. Sen. Stephenson addressed the questions     from the committee members.

    Larry Shumway, Deputy Supt. USOE, spoke in favor of the bill.

    Vic Arnold, UEA, expressed his concern with the bill in its current format. He suggested     providing more monies for other incentives in other areas of teaching. Mr. Arnold     answered questions from the committee.

     MOTION: Sen. Peterson moved to pass S.B. 35 out of committee with a favorable     recommendation.
    
    The motion passed with Sens. Dayton, Bell, Jones, Peterson, and Stephenson voting     aye. Sen. Romero voted in opposition.

    
3.    S.B. 39 Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education Task Force

    Sen. Stephenson presented the bill and the fiscal note.

     MOTION:    Sen. Stephenson moved to adopt the following amendment:    


1.    Page 2, Lines 36 through 48 :    

             36          (1) There is created the Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education Task Force
             37      consisting of the following
{   17   }        21       members:

             38          (a) five members of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate, no more than
             39      three of whom may be from the same political party;
             40          (b) seven members of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the
             41      House of Representatives, no more than five of whom may be from the same political party;
             42          (c) the governor or the governor's designee;
             43          (d) two members from the State Board of Education, appointed by the president of the
             44      Senate and speaker of the House of Representatives, in consultation with the State Board of
             45      Education;
{   and   }

             46          (e) two local board of education members, one from an urban school district and one
             47      from a rural school district, appointed by the president of the Senate and speaker of the House
             48      of Representatives, in consultation with the Utah School Boards Association
{   .   }        ;

    (f) two employers who rely on employees with math or science competency, appointed by the president of the Senate and speaker of the House of Representatives;
    (g) one mathematics teacher who is designated NCLB highly qualified under rules of the State Board of Education, appointed by the president of the Senate and speaker of the House of Representatives; and
    (h) one science teacher who is designated NCLB highly qualified under rules of the State Board of Education, appointed by the president of the Senate and speaker of the House of Representatives.  



    The motion passed unanimously.

     MOTION:    Sen. Stephenson moved to send S.B. 39 as amended out of committee     with a favorable recommendation.

    Sens. Dayton, Bell, Jones, Peterson and Stephenson voted in favor of the bill. Sen.     Romero voted in opposition.


4.    S.B. 41 Extended School Year Incentive

    Sen. Stephenson introduced and explained the bill.

     MOTION:    Sen. Stephenson moved to pass the bill out of committee favorably.     
    This motion passed unanimously.

     MOTION     Sen. Jones moved to adjourn.
    
    This motion passed unanimously.

    The meeting adjourned at 9:45 am.





                
            
            _______________________________________
                Sen. Margaret Dayton, Chair