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MINUTES OF HOUSE EDUCATION
STANDING COMMITTEE

February 25, 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. Greg Hughes
        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
                        
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 4:25 p.m.

MOTION:    Rep. Arent moved to approve the minutes of February 23, 2011. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Christensen, Rep. Edwards, Rep. Hughes, Rep. McIff, Rep. Newbold, and Rep. Sumsion were absent for the vote.

H.B. 110    Teacher Salary Supplement Program Amendments (Rep. M. Poulson)

MOTION:    Rep. Poulson moved to delete in title and body H.B. 110 and replace it with 1st Substitute H.B. 110. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Christensen, Rep. Edwards, Rep. Hughes, Rep. McIff, Rep. Newbold, and Rep. Sumsion were absent for the vote.

Rep. Poulson introduced the bill which establishes an appeal process for the Teacher Salary Supplement Program.

The following spoke in support of the bill:
    Patti Harrington, Utah School Boards Association and Utah School          Superintendents Association


    Tony Romanello, physics teachers, Alta High School
    Maria Soriano, Canyons School District
    Rubin McConkie, teacher
    Kory Holdaway, Utah Education Association
    Patricia Doty, teacher
    Laurie Petersen, citizen

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

MOTION:    Rep. Poulson moved to place the bill on the Consent Calendar. The motion failed with Rep. Sumsion voting in opposition. Rep. Edwards, Rep. Hughes, and Rep. Newbold were absent for the vote.

H.B. 134    Focus on Primary Classroom Teachers Program (Rep. J. Nielson)

Rep. Nielson introduced the bill which provides WPUs to a school district or charter school with a relatively higher percentage of resources allocated to primary classroom teachers. Rep. Nielson was assisted by Martell Menlove, Deputy Superintendent, Utah Office of Education, and Royce Van Tassell, Vice President, Utah Taxpayers Association.

Peter Cannon, citizen, spoke to the bill.

Geoff Leonard, Utah School Employees Association, spoke against the bill.

MOTION:    Rep. Sumsion moved to move to the next item on the agenda.

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:    Rep. Christensen moved to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed with Rep. Arent and Rep. Wright voting in opposition to the motion.

MOTION:    Rep. Sumsion moved to reconsider the motion to place 1st Substitute H.B. 110 on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed with Rep. Newbold voting in opposition to the motion.

MOTION:    Rep. Sumsion moved to place 1st Substitute H.B. 110 on the Consent Calendar. The motion failed with Rep. Newbold voting in opposition to the motion.

H.B. 151    Compulsory Education Amendments (Rep. J. Briscoe)

Rep. Briscoe introduced the bill which modifies the definition of "school-age minor" for purposes of establishing compulsory education requirements.

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



The following spoke in opposition to the bill:
    Gayle Ruzicka, Eagle Forum
    Helen Watts, Davis County 9/12 Project
    Wendi Baggaley, citizen
    Victor Shanti, citizen
    Becky Pirente, citizen
    
MOTION:
    Rep. Arent moved to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation.

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:    Rep. Mathis moved to move to the next item on the agenda. The motion passed with Rep. Arent voting in opposition.

S.B. 235     Charter School Students' Participation in Extracurricular Activities (Sen. K. Mayne) (Rep. )

Sen. Mayne introduced the bill which amends provisions related to the eligibility of charter school students to participate in extracurricular activities. Sen. Mayne was assisted by David Spatafore, Utah High School Activities Association, and Bart Thompson, Executive Director, Utah High School Activities Association.

The following spoke in support of the bill:
    Patti Harrington, Utah School Boards Association and Utah School          Superintendents Association
    Martell Menlove, Deputy Superintendent, Utah State Office of Education
    Chris Bleak, Utah Association of Public Charter Schools

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

MOTION:    Rep. Hughes moved to adjourn. The motion passed with Rep. Arent, Rep. Eliason, Rep. Moss, Rep. Powell, and Rep. Wright voting in opposition to the motion.

The committee adjourned at 6:30 p.m.




            ____________________________________
            
Rep. Bill Wright, Chair