MINUTES OF THE

SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE

210 Senate Building, Utah State Capitol Complex

February 10, 2014

 

Members Present:     Sen. Stuart C. Reid, Chair

                                    Sen. Patricia W. Jones

                                    Sen. Mark B. Madsen

                                    Sen. Aaron Osmond

                                    Sen. Howard A. Stephenson

                                    Sen. Jerry W. Stevenson

                                    Sen. Stephen H. Urquhart

                                   

Members Excused:    President Wayne L. Niederhauser

 

Staff Present:             Ms. Tiffany Stanley, Policy Analyst

                                    Ms. Wendy Hill, Committee Secretary

 

NOTE:  A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.

 

Chair Reid called the meeting to order at 2:08 p.m.

 

MOTION:  Sen. Osmond moved to approve the minutes of the February 5, 2014 meeting.  The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Madsen, Sen. Stevenson and Sen. Stephenson absent for the vote.    

 

Chair Reid asked Sen. Osmond to conduct the meeting.

 

S.B. 43         Intergenerational Poverty Intervention in Public Schools (Sen. S. Reid)

 

MOTION:  Sen. Reid moved to amendment the bill as follows:

I.                    Page 3, Lines 70 through 73: 


                               70          (c)  the number of students the LEA plans to serve, categorized by age  {,}    and 

                               71   intergenerational poverty status  {, free or reduced price school lunch status, and English

                               72   language learner status}  ;

                               73          (d)  the number of students, eligible students, and schools the LEA plans to fund with

 

The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Madsen and Sen. Urquhart absent for the vote.

 

Sen. Reid explained the bill to the committee.

 

 

 

                    

 

Spoke for the bill:       Dr. Martell Menlove, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

                                    Natalie Parker, Family Life Commission Parent, Teacher Association         

 

MOTION:  Sen. Jones moved to pass the bill out favorably.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

S.B. 150       Education Task Force Reauthorization (Sen.  S. Reid)

 

Sen. Reid explained the bill to the committee.          

 

MOTION:  Sen. Jones moved to pass the bill out favorably.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

Chair Reid resumed the chair.

 

S.B. 118       School Funding Through Income Tax Revisions (Sen. P. Jones)

 

MOTION:   Sen. Jones moved to replace S.B. 118 with 1st Sub. S.B. 118.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

Sen. Jones explained the substitute bill. “1SS118: School-Level Funding (SLEF) – Two maximum dependent exemptions 2/4/14” was distributed to the committee.

 

Spoke to the bill:                     Sarah Jones, Director of Education Excellence, Utah Education                              Association

 

Spoke for the bill:                   Laura Pinnock, citizen

                                                Karen W. Morgan, Vice President, Utah Children's Reading                                                                        Foundation

                                             Alexandra Efremo, citizen

                                                Mary Ann Strong, parent

                                                Brad Asay, President, American Federation of Teachers      

                                                James Humphreys, President, Log Cabin Republicans

                                                Ann-Marie Hopkins, citizen

                                                Kory Holdaway, citizen

                                                Lynn Pace, citizen

 

Spoke against the bill:             Royce Van Tassell, Vice President, Utah Taxpayer Association

                       

MOTION:  Sen. Jones moved to pass the bill out favorably.

 

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:   Sen. Urquhart moved to proceed to the next item on the agenda. The motion failed with Sen. Reid, Sen. Jones, Sen. Osmond and Sen. Stevenson voting in opposition and Sen. Madsen absent for the vote.

 

 

 

 

Sen. Jones’s original motion passed with Sen. Stephenson and Sen. Urquhart voting in opposition and Sen. Madsen absent for the vote.

 

S.B. 111       Education Funding Equalization (Sen. A. Osmond)

 

Sen. Osmond explained the bill to the committee.

 

MOTION:   Sen. Osmond moved to replace S.B. 111 with 2nd Sub. S.B. 111. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Madsen and Sen. Urquhart absent for the vote.

 

MOTION:   Sen. Osmond moved to amend the bill as follows:

I.                    Page 15, Lines 448 through 457:       


                               448        (1) (a)  Except as provided in Subsection (1)(b), as used in this section, "basic levy

                               449        increment rate" means a rate equal to the lesser of:

                               450        (i)  the difference between:

                               451        (A)  a rate of .001691; and

                               452        (B)  the certified revenue levy; and

                               453        (ii)  a rate that:

                               454        (A)  provides an amount of ad valorem property tax revenue equal to $100,000,000; and

                               455        (B)  is calculated in the same manner as the certified revenue levy.

                               456        (b)  If the difference calculated in Subsection (1)(a)(i) is less than zero, "basic levy

                               457        increment rate" means a rate equal to   {the rate described in Subsection (1)(a)(ii)}    zero 

 

The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Madsen and Sen. Urquhart absent for the vote.

Spoke to the bill:                     Karen Peterson, Trust Land Appointee, Parent Teacher Association

                                                Dr. Martell Menlove, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

 

Spoke for the bill:                   Cliff Haynes, Co-Chair, Willow Elementary Community Council

                                                Alexandra Eframo, citizen

                                   

Spoke against the bill:             Heidi Erickson, Research Analyst, Utah Taxpayer Association                    

MOTION:  Sen. Osmond moved to pass the substitute bill out favorably as amended.  The motion passed with Sen. Stephenson voting in opposition and Sen. Madsen absent for the vote.

 

 

 

 

MOTION:   Sen. Jones moved to adjourn.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

Chair Reid adjourned the meeting at 4:05 p.m.

 

 

 

________________________

Sen. Stuart C. Reid, Chair