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MINUTES OF HOUSE EDUCATION
STANDING COMMITTEE

February 23, 2011
Room 445, State Capitol Building


MEMBERS PRESENT:    Rep. Bill Wright, Chair
        Rep. LaVar Christensen, Vice Chair
        Rep. Patrice Arent
        Rep. Becky Edwards
        Rep. Steve Eliason    
        Rep. John Mathis
        Rep. Kay McIff
        Rep. Carol Spackman Moss
        Rep. Merlynn Newbold
        Rep. Marie Poulson
        Rep. Kraig Powell
        Rep. Holly Richardson
        Rep. Ken Sumsion
    
MEMBERS EXCUSED:    Rep. Rebecca Lockhart

MEMBERS ABSENT:    Rep. Greg Hughes            
            
STAFF PRESENT:    Constance C. Steffen, Policy Analyst
        Linda Service, Committee Secretary
        

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


Rep. Wright called the meeting to order at 4:33 p.m.

MOTION:    Rep. Arent moved to approve the minutes of February 16, 2011 and February 18, 2011. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Christensen, Rep. Edwards, Rep. Mathis, Rep. Newbold, and Rep. Sumsion were absent for the vote.

H.C.R. 13    Secure Rural Schools Concurrent Resolution (Rep. M. Noel)

Rep. Noel introduced the resolution which expresses support for the re-authorization of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000.






The following spoke in support of the resolution:
    Patti Harrington, Utah School Boards Association and Utah School          Superintendents Association
    
Kory Holdaway, Utah Education Association
    Martell Menlove, Deputy Superintendent, Utah State Board of Education

MOTION:    Rep. McIff moved to pass the resolution out with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Christensen, Rep. Mathis, Rep. Newbold, and Rep. Sumsion were absent for the vote.

MOTION:
    Rep. Arent moved to place the resolution on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Christensen, Rep. Mathis, Rep. Newbold, and Rep. Sumsion were absent for the vote.

H.B. 485    Higher Education Tenure (Rep. C. Herrod)

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

1.    Page 2, Lines 40 through 43 :    

             40          (vii) Utah Valley University;
  or      

             41          (viii) Salt Lake Community College
{   ; and   }        .      

             42          
{   (ix) the Utah College of Applied Technology.   }

  (c) "Research institution" means:

    (i) the University of Utah; or
    (ii) Utah State University.  

             43          
{   (c)   }        (d)       "Tenure-track position" means a teaching or research position at an institution of


2.    Page 2, Line 53 :    

             53          (b) the rights of an individual who accepts a tenure-track position before July 1, 2011.
      (4) This section does not prohibit a research institution from:

    (a) offering a teaching or research contract to an individual if the contract term does not exceed ten years; or
    (b) renewing a teaching or research contract, if the contract renewal term does not exceed ten years.  

The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Mathis, Rep. Newbold and Rep. Sumsion were absent for the vote.



Rep. Herrod introduced the bill which modifies Title 53B, Chapter 2, Institutions of Higher Education, by ending academic tenure at public universities in Utah.

The following spoke in opposition to the bill:
    William Sederburg, Commissioner of Higher Education, State Board of Regents
    Raymond Coward, Provost, Utah State University
    David Pershing, Sr. Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of Utah

Peter Cannon, Davis County citizen, spoke in support of the bill.

MOTION:    Rep. Richardson moved to pass the bill as amended out with a favorable recommendation.

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:    Rep. Mathis moved to hold the bill in committee. The motion failed with Rep. Mathis, Rep. Newbold, Rep. Powell, Rep. Richardson, Rep. Sumsion and Rep. Wright voting in favor of the motion. Rep. Christensen was absent for the vote.

A vote was taken on Rep. Richardson's motion to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation. The motion failed with Rep. Richardson, Rep. Sumsion, and Rep. Wright voting in favor of the motion. Rep. Christensen was absent for the vote.

H.B. 359    Business Resource Center Advisory Board Modification (Rep. V. Peterson)

Rep. Peterson introduced the bill which modifies provisions of the Utah Business Resource Centers Act related to the Utah Business Assistance Advisory Board.

Spencer Eccles, Executive Director, Governor's Office of Economic Development, spoke in support of the bill.

MOTION:    Rep. Arent moved to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed with Rep. Newbold voting in opposition to the motion. Rep. Christensen, Rep. Moss, and Rep. Sumsion were absent for the vote.

H.B. 398    Utah State Instructional Materials Access Center Funding (Rep. S. Handy)

Rep. Handy introduced the bill which authorizes the State Office of Education to withhold funding from school districts that breach their contractual obligations.

Steve Noyce, Superintendent, Utah School for the Deaf and Blind, spoke in support of the bill.

Helen Watts, citizen, spoke to the bill.



MOTION:    Rep. Arent moved to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Christensen, Rep. Powell, Rep. Richardson, and Rep. Sumsion were absent for the vote.

H.B. 415    Schools for the Deaf and Blind Foundation (Rep. S. Handy)

Rep. Handy introduced the bill which modifies the Public-Private Partnership for Education Excellence Act.

Steve Noyce, Superintendent, Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind, spoke in support of the bill.

MOTION:    Rep. Poulson moved to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Christensen, Rep. Powell, and Rep. Sumsion were absent for the vote.

H.B. 269    Commission on Civic and Character Education (Rep. L. Christensen)

MOTION:
    Rep. Christensen moved to adopt 1st Substitute H.B. 269. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. McIff, Rep. Powell, and Rep. Sumsion were absent for the vote.

Rep. Christensen introduced the bill which imposes reporting requirements on civic and character education in schools.

Martell Menlove, Deputy Superintendent, Utah State Board of Education, spoke to the bill.

Susan Edwards, citizen, spoke in support of the bill.

MOTION:    Rep. Newbold moved to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. McIff, Rep. Powell, and Rep. Sumsion were absent for the vote.

H.B. 327    Public Education Annual Report Amendments (Rep. L. Christensen)

MOTION:
    Rep. Christensen moved to adopt 1st Substitute H.B. 327. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. McIff, Rep. Newbold, Rep. Powell, and Rep. Sumsion were absent for the vote.

Rep. Christensen introduced the bill which requires the State Board of Education to make an annual report on civic and character education.

Martell Menlove, Deputy Superintendent, Utah State Board of Education spoke to the bill.



MOTION:    Rep. Poulson moved to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Mciff, Rep. Newbold, Rep. Powell, and Rep. Sumsion were absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Moss moved to adjourn at 6:32 p.m. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. McIff, Rep. Newbold, Rep. Powell, and Rep. Sumsion were absent for the vote.











            ____________________________________
            Rep. Bill Wright, Chair