MINUTES OF THE

HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE

Room 30, House Building

February 26, 2015

Members Present:                Rep. Brad G. Last, Chair

                                                Rep. V. Lowry Snow, Vice Chair

                                                Rep. LaVar Christensen

                                                Rep. Kim Coleman

                                                Rep. Steve Eliason

                                                Rep. Justin L. Fawson

                                                Rep. Francis D. Gibson

                                                Rep. Eric K. Hutchings

                                                Rep. David E. Lifferth

                                                Rep. Daniel McCay

                                                Rep. Carol Spackman Moss

                                                Rep. Michael E. Noel

                                                Rep. Marie H. Poulson

Members Excused:               Rep. Gregory H. Hughes                                 

Staff Present:                        Ms. Tiffany Stanley, Policy Analyst

                                                Ms. Linda Service, Committee Secretary

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

Chair Last called the meeting to order at 8:06 a.m.

The legislative sponsor of the following bills presented on their legislation:

S.B. 104          Education Elections and Reporting Amendments (Sen. A. Jackson);

H.J.R. 16        Proposal to Amend Utah Constitution -- Governance of Public Education (Rep. D. McCay);

H.B. 305         State Board of Education Membership Amendments (Rep. D. McCay);

H.B. 342         Amendments to State School Board Election Process (Rep. K. Powell);

H.B. 186         State School Board Membership and Election Amendments (Rep. F. Gibson) and;

H.B. 297         State School Board Elections Amendments (Rep. N. Thurston).

After the legislative sponsors presented their legislation, the committee heard public comment on methods for selecting members of the State Board of Education.

Spoke for partisan elections:   Mr. Royce Van Tassel, Utah Association of Public Charter                                                  Schools  

                                                       Ms. Heather Gardner, citizen

                                                       Ms. Allison Williams, citizen

                                                       Mr. Stan Rasmussen, Sutherland Institute

                                                       Ms. Wendy Hart, citizen

                                                       Ms. Gayle Ruzicka, Eagle Forum

Spoke for non-partisan elections: Ms. Laney Benedict, PIE, distributed the handout, "PIE"

                                                       Ms. Lisa Nentl-Bloom, Utah Education Association

                                                       Ms. Mary Nielson, parent, local school board

                                                       Ms. JoDee Sundberg, Utah School Boards Association

                                                       Ms. Linda Simmons, citizen

                                                       Ms. Deon Turley, Utah PTA

After public comment, Chair Last asked the committee for motions on the legislation that was presented.

MOTION:     Rep. McCay moved to replace H.B. 186 with 2nd Sub. H.B. 186. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Snow absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. McCay moved to pass 2nd Sub. H.B. 186 out favorably. The motion passed with Rep. Lifferth voting against the motion. Rep. Snow was absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Moss moved to pass H.J.R. 16 out favorably. The motion passed with Rep. Christensen and Rep. Lifferth voting against the motion. Rep. Snow was absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Hutchings moved to replace 3rd Sub. S.B. 104 with 5th Sub. S.B. 104. The motion passed unanimously.

MOTION:     Rep. Hutchings moved to pass 5th Sub. S.B. 104 out favorably. The motion passed with Rep. Moss and Rep. Poulson voting against the motion. Rep. Snow was absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Hutchings moved to hold H.B. 297 in committee. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Snow absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Hutchings moved to hold H.B. 342 in committee. The motion passed with Rep. Moss voting against the motion. Rep. Snow was absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. McCay moved to pass H.B. 305 out favorably.

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:   Rep. Hutchings moved to hold H.B. 305. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Noel and Rep. Snow absent for the vote.     

H.B. 360         Utah Education Amendments (Rep. L. Christensen)

H.B. 360 was not considered.

MOTION:     Rep. Poulson moved to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Noel and Rep. Snow absent for the vote. Chair Last adjourned the meeting at 9:49 a.m. 

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Rep. Brad Last, Chair