Wyoming Education Association

Legislative Update – February 12, 2008

Day 2

Related Websites

WEA Website

Legislative Page

Legislature’s Website

Legislators:

House
Senate

Legislative Calendar

Legislative Hotline

866.996.8683

Guidelines for Attending a Legislative Committee Meeting

Appearing before a Legislative Committee?

To subscribe to this Legislative Update e-mail service, send an email with no message to:

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For technical information about this list, contact: rsniffin@nea.org

Do you want to join the Wyoming Education Association? Please contact Linda Bottom at the WEA:

lbottom@nea.org

Do you have a question or need more information? Contact Jason Mincer, Government Relations Director:

jmincer@nea.org

307-421-2818

Governor Dave Freudenthal delivers his State of the State address. His speech can be found at on his website:

State of the State

We STILL Need Your Help!

Introductory vote on this bill will likely take place on Wednesday, so please email your Representative as soon as possible!

Most conversations with Legislators have been very positive, so keep up the good work, we will need it. THANKS to all members who have already written an email. Please encourage your colleagues to write as well.

Representative Del McOmie has offered to sponsor this bill that would expand due process rights to Education Support Professionals (school district support staff), it is HB 112. These rights would be very similar to those currently given to teachers and state employees.

After one year of employment, would include:

1) Just cause requirement for dismissal or suspension;

2) A yearly performance evaluation;

3) In the event of a dismissal or suspension, a written explanation to the employee;

4) The right of the dismissed or suspended employee to a hearing before an independent hearing officer, should the employee wish to appeal the proposed action.

Please email your Representative (http://legisweb.state.wy.us/2007/members/rep.htm)

and ask them to vote for HB 112 on introduction.

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Today’s News

Senate File 50 – Government royalty revenue – distribution, did not receive the votes needed for introduction. This is a good thing. This bill would have taken funds away from education and put them toward the Wildlife Trust Fund.

Additional bills WEA will be working this year

SF0017	School facilities-infrastructure costs.	Would require the SFC to choose cheapest option available in every situation.	Oppose	Passed Introduction
SF0045	School districts-payment of employee association dues.	Does not allow school districts to pay employees’ dues to professional organizations including WEA	Oppose	Passed Introduction
SF0050	Government royalty revenue-distribution.	Takes future School Foundation Account funding away from education and moves it to the Wildlife Trust Fund	Oppose	Failed Introduction We WIN!
HB0112	Educational support personnel.	Provides support staff with due process rights - See additional one pager and detailed talking points. We will get members a bill number when it is published!	Support!	Introductory vote likely to take place on Wednesday!
HB0009	Campaign finance reporting.	Limits Political Action Committee contributions to $3,500 per individual for legislative races and $7000 for statewide candidates per election. A very blatant abuse of the current law lead to this change	2^nd tier support	Passed Introduction
HB0028	Workforce training appropriation.	This bill resulted from the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Workforce Development.	2^nd Tier support	DEAD Failed Introduction
HB0040	Schools-compulsory attendance.	Raises minimum age a student must stay in school from 16 to 17 and requires a parent signature in order for a student to drop out	2nd Tier Support	Passed Introduction
HB0077	Tuition-dependents of disabled firefighters and EMTs-2.	Allows children of disabled firefighters to go to college tuition free	2^nd Tier support
SF0009	State retirement-board immunity.	Protects the members of the state retirement board from legal action.	2^nd Tier support	Passed Introduction
SF0021	Hathaway scholarship program.	Provides students who lose their Hathaway Scholarship due to low GPA with an opportunity to earn it back if they bring up their GPA while they pay their own tuition.	2^nd Tier Support	Passed Introduction
SF0029	Public library endowment challenge program.	Provides public libraries an opportunity to raise funds through a matching endowment program	2^nd Tier Support	Passed Introduction
HB0003	Campaign finance reporting-electronic filing.	Changes campaign finance reports to an electronic form that would be posted online and would be searchable	2^nd Tier support	Passed Introduction

WEA Higher Ed Agenda

Most of WEA’s higher education issues (the COLA and changes to the funding model) are issues that will be addressed as a part of the budget bill. We are currently looking to partner with the colleges on these issues and have initiated these conversations. We will update you when our exact plans are more firm,

The WEA will be taking positions on several more bills as the week progresses. Please keep an eye on the Legislative Update for new bills each night.

In addition to the bills in the chart above, WEA is opposed to a multitude of bills that put education funding in danger including those the put caps on, or reduce property taxes.