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MINUTES OF HOUSE EDUCATION
STANDING COMMITTEE
February 10, 2009
Room 445, State Capitol Building

MEMBERS PRESENT:    Rep. Gregory H. Hughes, Chair
        Rep. Kenneth W. Sumsion, Vice Chair
        Rep. Laura Black
        Rep. Rebecca Edwards
        Rep. Craig A. Frank
        Rep. Kory M. Holdaway
        Rep. Don L. Ipson
        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. Bradley G. Last
        Rep. Carl Wimmer        
            
STAFF PRESENT:    John Q. Cannon, Managing 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. Hughes called the meeting to order.

MOTION: Rep. Frank moved to accept the minutes of February 6, 2009. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Holdaway, Rep. Ipson, and Rep. Newbold absent for the vote.

H. B. 210, Posting of Collective Bargaining Agreements by School Districts

Rep. Sumsion introduced the bill.

The following spoke in support of the bill:

Vik Arnold, Utah Education Association
Judi Clark, Parents for Choice in Education

MOTION: Rep. Black moved to hold the bill in committee.

SUBSTITUTE MOTION: Rep. Frank moved to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed with Rep. Black, Rep. Poulson, Rep. Moss, and Rep. Wheatley voting in opposition. Rep. Holdaway, Rep. Ipson, and Rep. Newbold were absent for the vote.

H. B. 207, Concurrent Enrollment Amendments

MOTION: Rep. Holdaway moved to replace H.B. 207 with 1st Substitute H.B. 207. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Ipson and Rep. Newbold absent for the vote.

Rep. Holdaway introduced the bill.

Dave Buhler, Associate Commissioner, Utah Higher Education. spoke in favor of the bill.

The following spoke to the bill:

Larry Shumway, Deputy State Superintendent, Utah State Office of Education
Robyn Bagley, Parents for Choice in Education

MOTION: Rep. Wheatley moved to pass out 1st Substitute H. B. 207 with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Ipson absent for the vote.

H.B. 146, Expenditures of School and Institutional Trust Land Money by School Districts.

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

1.    Page 1, Lines 13 through 19 :    

             13          This bill:
             14          .    allows School LAND Trust Program monies to be used to purchase
  wind,       solar        ,       or

             15      geothermal systems for installation on school property if:
             16              .    approved by a school community council, local school board, or charter school
             17      governing board, where applicable; and
             18              .    the
  wind,       solar        ,       or geothermal systems meet certain cost criteria; and

             19          .    makes technical changes.

2.    Page 6, Line 155 :    

             155      improvement plan or to install
  wind,       solar        ,       or geothermal systems on a school property.


3.    Page 7, Lines 197 through 201 :    

             197          (ii) purchase
  wind,       solar        ,       or geothermal systems if:

             198          (A) the school community council develops a plan that demonstrates its ability to

             199      recover the cost of the
  wind,       solar        ,       or geothermal systems and installation within ten years with money

             200      saved from school energy bills and credit earned from selling excess school generated
             201      electricity back to the school's energy provider; and

4.    Page 7, Lines 204 through 207 :    

             204          (b) [The] A school may develop a multiyear program, but the program shall be
             205      presented and approved by the school community council and the local school board of the
             206      district in which the school is located annually and as a prerequisite to receiving program funds
             207      allocated under this section.
    
  (c) If a school installs a wind, solar, or geothermal system in accordance with Subsection (5)(a)(ii), any profit realized by selling excess school generated electricity back to the school's energy provider after the school has recovered the installation and infrastructure costs of the wind, solar, or geothermal system, shall be used by the school to improve academic achievement as approved by the school community council.      


The motion to amend passed unanimously with Rep. Ipson absent for the vote.

Rep. Cosgrove introduced the bill assisted by Sara Baldwin, Utah Clean Energy, and Ann Ober, Salt Lake County Mayor's Office.

Natalie Gordon, Utah P.T.A., spoke against the bill.

Vik Arnold, Utah Education Association, spoke to the bill.

MOTION: Rep. Black moved to adjourn. The motion passed with Rep. Frank voting in opposition and Rep. Ipson and Rep. Holdaway absent for the vote. The meeting adjourned at 4:55 p.m.




    

_____________________________
Rep. Gregory H. Hughes, Chair