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STANDING COMMITTEE
February 17, 2009
Room 445, State Capitol Building
Rep. Kenneth W. Sumsion, Vice Chair
Rep. Laura Black
Rep. Brad L. Dee
Rep. Rebecca Edwards
Rep. Craig A. Frank
Rep. Kory M. Holdaway
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
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. Hughes called the meeting to order at 2:10 p.m.
MOTION: Rep. Frank moved to approve the minutes of February 13, 2009. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Dee, Rep. Powell, and Rep. Wimmer absent for the vote.
H.B. 296, Schools for the Deaf and Blind Amendments
MOTION: Rep. Sumsion moved to adopt 1st Substitute H.B. 296. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Dee, Rep. Powell, and Rep. Wimmer absent for the vote.
Rep. Sumsion and Rep. Jennifer Seelig, cosponsor, discussed the bill which recodifies the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, including modifying provisions regarding its employees and a student's eligibility for services.
The following spoke in support of the bill:
Leslie Gertsch, Utah Council of the Blind
Jodi Kinner, USDB Institutional Council
Jan Ferre', Chair, Utah Coalition for People with Disabilities
Michelle Tanner, teacher, Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind
Von Hortin, Chair, USDB Institutional Council
Tim Smith, Interim Superintendent, and Michael Sears, Finance Director, Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, responded to committee members' questions.
The following suggested amendments to the bill:
Ron Gardner, President, National Federation of the Blind of Utah
Andrew Riggle, Disability Law Center
The following commented on the bill:
Pat Renfranz, Utah Parents of Blind Children
MOTION: Rep. Frank motioned to move the bill out with a favorable recommendation.
SUBSTITUTE MOTION: Rep. Holdaway moved to amend the bill as follows:
1. Page 14, Lines 411 through 413 :
411 (b) The board may make rules to allow a resident of Utah who is
{
younger than
22 years
412 of age and who is } neither deaf, blind, nor deafblind to receive services of the Utah Schools for
413 the Deaf and the Blind
if the student:
(i) is younger than 22 years of age and has an IEP; or
(ii) is younger than 19 years of age
.
The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Dee and Rep. Last absent for the vote.
A vote was taken on Rep. Frank's motion. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Dee and Rep. Last absent for the vote.
H.B. 328, Teacher Quality Amendments
Rep. Hughes introduced the bill which creates a program to pilot the development and implementation of performance-based compensation plans for elementary school teachers and modifies reporting requirements for certain student achievement tests.
The following spoke in support of the bill:
Larry Shumway, Deputy Superintendent, State Board of Education
The following spoke in opposition to the bill:
Steve Peterson, Utah School Boards Association and Utah School Superintendents Association
Geoff Leonard, Utah School Employees Association
Bonnie Despain, retired teacher
Kim Campbell, Utah Education Association
MOTION: Rep. Holdaway moved to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation.
SUBSTITUTE MOTION: Rep. Black motioned to move to the next item on the agenda. The motion failed with Rep. Black, Rep. Edwards, Rep. Poulson, and Rep. Moss voting in favor of the motion. Rep. Dee and Rep. Sumsion were absent for the vote.
A vote was taken on Rep. Holdaway's motion. The motion passed with Rep. Black and Rep. Wheatley voting in opposition. Rep. Sumsion was absent for the vote.
H.J.R. 13, Joint Resolution - Teacher Performance Pay
Rep. Poulson introduced the resolution which recommends that performance or differentiated pay plans for teachers be developed using certain guiding principles.
The following spoke in support of the bill:
Holly Langton, Utah PTA
Kim Campbell, Utah Education Association
Leslie Harper, teacher
Steve Peterson, Utah School Boards Association and Utah School Superintendents Association
The following commented on the bill:
Geoff Leonard, Utah School Employees Association
Larry Shumway, Deputy Superintendent, State Board of Education
MOTION: Rep. Ipson moved to pass the resolution out with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Sumsion and Rep. Wimmer absent for the vote.
MOTION: Rep. Holdaway moved to place the resolution on the consent calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Sumsion and Rep. Wimmer absent for the vote.
H.B. 194, Education Policies for Military Children
Rep. Menlove introduced the bill which enacts policies related to military children.
The following spoke in support of the bill:
Ronda Rose
Steve Peterson, Utah School Boards Association and Utah School Superintendents Association
MOTION: Rep. Black moved to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Sumsion absent for the vote.
MOTION: Rep. Ipson moved to adjourn at 4:45 p.m. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Sumsion absent for the vote.
___________________________________
Rep. Gregory H. Hughes, Chair