Legislative Update
A Communication for Parents and Education Supporters in SEE Districts		 February 26, 2010
If this is your first Legislative Update from SEE - Welcome!
For those who have been with us through the years - Thank you!
SEE publishes this Legislative Update weekly during the legislative session.
 
Brad Lundell, Executive Director for SEE, writes a blog on almost a daily basis.  For up-to-date information about what is happening at the capitol visit Brad's Blog.
In This Issue
What's happening at the Capitol
Shared Services
What You Can Do
Article Headline
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What's happening at the Capitol

The individual committees are meeting and beginning to hear bills in earnest.  Most bills are set aside for possible inclusion in the final omnibus bills.  The major areas - Health and Human Services, Higher Education, K-12 Education, Transportation, Environment, etc - will all create omnibus bills which is a collection of single bills that are bound together to reflex the priorities of the committees.  Each major House and Senate committee pass their own omnibus bills.  Then each area forms a conference committee made up of members from both the Senate and the House to reconcile the two versions into one omnibus bill.  Those omnibus bills will have to pass again through the House and Senate and finally make their way to the governor's desk for signature or veto. 

 

With the current $1.2 billion deficit, most of the omnibus bills will detail how their area of government will be cut.  Even though the committees continue to listen to various bills, they really can't get down to the serious work until they know how much they have to cut in their area.  Leadership in the House and Senate will set those targets in the coming weeks.  As the governor has proposed protecting education from further cuts, we are urging the House and Senate to do the same.  Education advocates are also asking the legislature to look for ways to reduce mandates and rules to give schools more flexibility in managing their budgets.
Shared Services

One way school districts strive to reduce costs is through collaboration with other districts to leverage their purchasing power and to share services.  Districts have done this for years, forming cooperatives to use tax payer dollars more effectively and efficiently in such areas as legal services, on-line learning offerings, transportation, special education services, social work, and food procurement. 

 

HF2840 (Swails) was heard in the House Education Finance Committee on Tuesday.  This bill is trying to create an environment that would encourage greater cooperation and shared services between units of government including school districts, cities, counties and townships. There is nothing mandatory or forced on school districts in this bill. The bill creates a task force that represents a number of governmental units (both the labor and management sides) that will look at opportunities for greater shared services and ways to remove impediments to cooperation that currently exist.

 

We hear that the Senate is pursuing two options.  One is a voluntary pilot program that would bring in an outside paid consultant to negotiate a preferred vendor list for government entities to use to maximize savings.  Another bill would establish a Commission of Services and Collaboration.  These proposals are a refreshing change from last year when the Senate wanted to mandate participation without recognizing how effective school districts have been in creating collaborative efforts to drive down costs.  School districts don't need legislation that would bulldoze the work that has already been done but could benefit from legislative assistance to create more efficiency and remove any barriers that exist.   

 What You Can Do 

  • Email your state senator and representative and let them know how appreciative you are that K-12 education funding was spared in the Governor's budget reduction recommendations.  Also, urge them to speak with their leadership to encourage that the legislature not cut education funding as well.  Click here to find out who represents you.  In this political arena, it is vital that education advocates speak up for education.  A very simple note to your legislators will let them know that their constituents are informed and concerned. 

  • Pass these updates on and ask your friends to sign up to receive SEE's Legislative Updates so they too can be part of our network.  Now is the time to build education support networks so that when critical times occur during the legislative session we can respond.  In this political world, it is the voice of many that can make a difference.   
    • Working together, we can make a difference. 
     
    If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact me.
     
    Deb Griffiths
    Director of Communications and Community Outreach
    Schools for Equity in Education
    612-309-0089
     Education Committees
    The senate has combined the education policy and education budget committees.  That seems wise particularly in these tough economic times since rarely does an education policy or mandate come without any cost to our schools.