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STANDING COMMITTEE
January 30, 2009
Room 445, State Capitol Building
Rep. Kenneth W. Sumsion, Vice Chair
Rep. Laura Black
Rep. Rebecca Edwards
Rep. Craig A. Frank
Rep. Don L. Ipson
Rep. Bradley G. Last
Rep. Carol Spackman Moss
Rep. Merlynn T. Newbold
Rep. Marie H. Poulson
Rep. Kraig Powell
Rep. Mark A. Wheatley
MEMBERS ABSENT: Rep. Brad L. Dee
Rep. Kory M. Holdaway
Rep. Carl Wimmer
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. Sumsion called the meeting to order at 8:20 a.m.
MOTION: Rep. Black moved to approve the minutes of January 27, 2009. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Last, Rep. Moss, and Rep. Hughes absent for the vote.
H.B. 242, Kindergarten Amendments
MOTION: Rep. Black moved to amend the bill as follows:
1. Page 1, Line 12 :
12 . modifies the minimum age for kindergarten enrollment
, at a local school
board's discretion
; and
2. Page 2, Line 58 through Page 3, Line 59 :
58 (6) A board may enroll children in school who are at least five years of age before
59
{
[
}
September 2
{
]
}
{
July 1
}
or an earlier date
of the year in which
admission is sought.
The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Edwards, Rep. Last, Rep. Moss, and Rep. Hughes absent for the vote.
Rep. Black explained the amended bill allows a school district to set an earlier kindergarten starting date.
The following spoke in support of the bill:
Kim Campbell, Utah Education Association
The following spoke in opposition to the bill:
Tara Lynn Rigby, Parent
Elizabeth Monaco, Parent
Steve Peterson, Utah School Boards Association and Utah School Superintendents Association, stated the associations are opposed to the unamended bill, but will reconsider it with the amendment.
Larry Shumway, Deputy Superintendent, State Board of Education, commented on the bill.
MOTION: Rep. Moss moved to pass the bill out with a favorable motion. The motion failed with Rep. Black, Rep. Moss, Rep. Wheatley, Rep. Edwards, Rep. Poulson, and Rep. Powell voting in favor of the motion.
H.B. 230, Credit Required in Teacher Transfers
MOTION: Rep. Fowlke moved to amend the bill as follows:
1. Page 2, Lines 32 through 34 :
32 (b) the documented teaching experience earned outside of the state's public schools;
33 and
34 (c) partial credit for less than a full school year of teaching
that is documented by
the teacher
.
The motion passed unanimously.
Rep. Fowlke explained the bill requires a local school board or charter school to accept certain transferred teaching experience.
The following spoke in opposition to the bill:
Tamara Lowe, President, Utah School Boards Association
Brent Thorne, speaking on behalf of rural school districts
Larry Shumway commented on the bill.
The following spoke in support of the bill:
Judy Clark, Parents for Choice in Education
Ron Firmage, former teacher
Vic Arnold, Utah Education Association, did not support the bill.
MOTION: Rep. Frank moved to amend the bill as follows:
Page 2, Line 32: After "schools" insert "at an accredited school as a licensed teacher"
SUBSTITUTE MOTION: Rep. Last moved to move to the next item on the agenda. The motion passed unanimously.
H.B. 229, Public School Funding
MOTION: Rep. Newbold moved to amend the bill as follows:
1. Page 1, Lines 12 through 23 :
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This bill:
14 . repeals the authority of school districts to levy certain property taxes;
15
{
. increases the statewide minimum basic tax rate;
}
16
{
. creates the Homeowner Protection Program;
}
17 . requires a school district to use the
increased
revenue received from the
{
Homeowner
18 Protection Program }
Uniform School Fund due to the 1.45% increase in the
sales and use tax
to pay for bond interest, principal, and redemption premiums
19 first;
20 . requires a school district to use the remaining money received from the
{
Homeowner
21 Protection Program }
Uniform School Fund due to the 1.45% increase in the
sales and use tax to offset the loss of certain property tax revenue;
22 . prohibits a taxing entity from imposing a property tax rate higher than the taxing
23 entity's certified tax rate for three years;
2. Page 38, Lines 1155 through 1161 :
1155 Section 22. Section 53A-17a-164 is enacted to read:
1156 53A-17a-164.
{
Homeowner Protection Program --
}
Increase in the Uniform
School
1157 Fund -- Use of funds received by a school district -- Property tax offset.
1158 (1) The revenue deposited into the Uniform School Fund under Subsection
1159 59-12-103 (13)
{
as part of the Homeowner Protection Program,
}
shall be
allocated to school
1160 districts based on a school district's total weighted pupil units compared to the total weighted
1161 pupil units for all districts in the state.
3. Page 39, Lines 1191 through 1194 :
1191 (2) Of the monies appropriated in Subsection (1), the State Board of Education shall
1192 distribute[
1193
{
$27,288,000
}
$27,288,900
in accordance with the
1194 Capital Outlay Enrollment Growth Program pursuant to Section 53A-21-302 .
The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Frank absent for the vote.
Rep. Harper introduced the bill which reduces property taxes for schools and increases sales tax and dedicates it to schools. He discussed two charts showing trends in property tax and sales tax receipts.
MOTION: Rep. Newbold moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:50 a.m. The motion passed unanimously.
__________________________________
Rep. Greg H. Hughes, Chair