LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER

April 17, 2009

Conference Committees Begin Work

Legislators have begun conference committee work on bills that have passed each chamber in different forms. Members from each chamber are appointed to serve on conference committees to work out differences in bills.

The following bills are now in conference committees:

HB1013 is the DPI budget. NDSBA supports funding levels in the Senate version of this bill and will oppose any cuts proposed by House members in conference. Conferees: Reps. Skarphol, Wald, Kroeber; Sens. Holmberg, Wardner, Robinson

HB1265 relates to use of 15 mills allowed in a district’s asbestos levy to qualify for and pay off QZA Bonds for school renovation and construction projects. NDSBA supports the House version of this bill. Conferees: Reps. L. Meier, D. Johnson, Myxter; Sens. Flakoll, Freborg, Bakke

HB1347 relates to political subdivisions use of resources to support or oppose initiated/referred ballot measures—including their own levy measures. NDSBA opposed the House version of this bill. The Senate amended it into a study, which we could support. Conferees: Reps. Koppleman, Boehning, Zaiser; Sens. Lyson, Nething, Schneider

HB1360 relates to REA employees’ rights. It was a simple bill supported by NDSBA, NDCEL, and NDEA. The issue was complicated by Legislative Council’s opinion on how extensive the legislation must be. The conference committee has met but has not come to an agreement. If the bill cannot be fixed to the satisfaction of conferees and education groups, NDSBA will support killing the bill and starting over next Session. Conferees: Reps. Wall, Karls, Mock; Sens. G. Lee, Flakoll, Taylor

HB1400 (K-12 education policy) conference committee has met to discuss differences in the two versions. It appears major issues are Pre-K, instructional coaching, professional development time, Commission composition, treatment of stimulus money as it relates to 70% of new money going to teacher salaries, new categories included in valuation imputation, and waivers of ending fund balance deducts related to influx of federal dollars. NDSBA is hoping the basic initiatives of the Commission remain intact and are properly funded. Conferees: Reps. Kelsch, Wall, Mueller; Sens. Freborg, Flakoll, Taylor

SB2199 (the Governor’s property tax relief bill) now contains property tax relief and individual and corporate income tax reductions. The Senate version nullifies voter approved unlimited and excess levies for taxable years after December 2012. NDSBA believes voter-approved levies should NOT be nullified by the state, but if legislators are intent on placing limits on the validity of votes, it should be at least 10 years from passage of this bill. This will likely be a contentious conference committee reminiscent of the final days of the 2007 Session. Conferees: not yet named

HB3054 and SB4030 are proposed ballot measures relating to an oil trust fund and will both be in conference committees. Only one can survive to be placed on the ballot. At this point, NDSBA prefers SB4030. HB3054 Conferees: Reps. Koppleman, Schatz, Schneider; Sens. Hogue, Oehlke, Triplett. SB4030 Conferees: not yet named

SB2021 has not been part of our active tracking up until now. This is the budget bill for the Information Technology Department. It contains funding for K-12 technology, EduTech, and Sendit, among other things. As part of the Commission on Education Improvement’s recommendations, SB2021 contains funding for the statewide longitudinal data system that is a federal requirement. In order to make this data system effective, ITD will require a reporting system for schools (Power School) that is compatible with the statewide system. In its original version, SB2021 provided funding of Power School for each district in the state so reporting would be uniform. The House Appropriations Committee removed funding for Power School and made it a local responsibility. NDSBA believes that if Power School is going to be required as part of the statewide longitudinal data reporting system, the state should fund it. School district reporting will be the foundation of a statewide system. We will be working with the conference committee to restore funding. Please speak with your House members about this important issue.

There is very little time to influence the outcomes of this legislative session. Please keep communicating with your legislators about issues important to your school district. Voices from home have the greatest impact!

Post Legislative Meetings (tentative schedule)

*May 6	6:30 p.m.	Grand Forks Public Schools (TBA)
*May 7	6:30 p.m.	Fargo Public Schools District Office Board Room 415 N 4th Street
May 13	6:30 p.m.	Minot Public Schools District Office Conference Room 215 2nd St SE
May 14	6:30 p.m.	Bismarck Public Schools Hughes Educational Center Board Room 806 N Washington St.

*These dates are “tentative” depending on the conclusion date of the Legislative Session

Everyone has access to bill topics and texts, hearing schedules, and bill status reports at the Legislature’s Web site. NDSBA’s Web site includes this weekly Legislative Newsletter, hearing schedules for the upcoming week, and the list of bills NDSBA is tracking. Updated information will be posted Thursday or Friday each week depending on when information becomes available.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

ND State Web site: www.nd.gov

ND Legislative Information Web site: www.legis.nd.gov

Legislature Toll Free # 1-888-635-3447

Bismarck Legislative # 328-3373