The Legislature is busy prioritizing bills and money today. Executive Appropriations meets at 5:15 to approve overall revenue estimates and the spending limit, plus departmental base budgets and fees. Millions of dollars in additional revenue are projected.
In the House and Senate, hundreds of bills have passed committee. The boards are full, so bills are being sent to Rules committee to be put in priority order.
In the House at 10:15, HB 95 will be voted on. It authorizes over $2 million for International Baccalaureate accelerated learning programs in public schools. In the Senate at 11:15, a physician will take the floor to discuss HB 202, the so-called Ritalin bill, which aims to prohibit school personnel from making medical recommendations for students.
Two bills awaiting debate in the Senate would change the way state school board members are chosen. Second Substitute SJR 1 proposes to amend the state Constitution. Instead of being elected, the State Board of Education would be appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Senate. The State Superintendent of Instruction would be appointed by the Governor as well, with the consent of the State Board of Education. Currently the State Board appoints the Superintendent.
Under First Substitute SB 194 on the other hand, State school board and local school board members in counties of the first and second class would still be elected instead of appointed, but they would have to run in partisan elections as members of political parties. Elections in smaller counties would still be non-partisan. The non-partisan committee that nominates and recruits State school board candidates now would be repealed.
In committees this morning SENATE WORKFORCE SERVICES COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT votes on Substitute SB 68. Three percent of the revenue from restaurant sales taxes in first and second class counties would be tapped to promote eating out. The money would go into the Restaurant Industry Promotion Fund to promote patronage of restaurants by residents and tourists.
SENATE REVENUE AND TAXATION will discuss SB 209, which allows the state Department of Commerce to grant franchises for video or cable services. Franchise holders would have to offer public, education and government access to their services and could not deny access to groups of subscribers because they lived in a low-income area.
Sandy Peck
League of Women
Voters,
(801)272-8683 fax (801)272-5942
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