Association of Alaska School Boards

Legislative Bulletin

A weekly digest of activity by the Alaska Legislature and U.S. Congress for Alaska’s School Board Members.  AASB Tel. 907-586-1083, Fax 907-586-2995. Executive Director, Carl Rose crose@aasb.org; Editor, John Greely. Review past issues of the Bulletin on the AASB Website at http://www.aasb.org. To unsubscribe send an email requesting the same to jgreely@aasb.org.

This bulletin is distributed by email only. School districts should copy for board members not online.

May 19, 2006

--HOUSE RESOLUTION CUTS FEDERAL EDUCATION FUNDS
--‘NO CHILD’ LAW NOT GOING ANYWHERE, SAY LAWMAKERS
--HB 13 DEADLINE IS JUNE 1
--LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES TO RESTART WORK ON OIL TAX

HOUSE RESOLUTION CUTS FEDERAL EDUCATION FUNDS

Majority Republicans in the U.S. House voted narrowly on Thursday to adopt a FY 07 budget resolution that does not include additional funding for education. AASB urged Congress to add $7.1 billion to the budget for labor, education and healthcare, but only a non-binding resolution to that effect was approved by the House as it adopted a $2.7 trillion spending plan by a vote of 218-210.  Rep. Don Young was a “yes” vote.  Without the additional funding, federal appropriations for Title I and IDEA programs will be 7 percent, or about $5 billion, below current levels.  The Senate voted earlier this year to add  $7.1 billion to the budget for labor, education and health care proposed by the Bush Administration. The two different spending plans must now be reconciled by a conference committee.

‘NO CHILD’ LAW NOT GOING ANYWHERE, SAY LAWMAKERS

Federal lawmakers say they are willing to make the No Child Left Behind law more flexible, but warned there won’t be a lot of extra federal money to help pay for it.  And don’t expect the law to go away, members of the House Education & Workforce Committee said Thursday as they kicked off a series of hearings in preparation for renewing the sweeping education law next year.  See full story here:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/05/19/no.child.congress.ap/index.htm

HB 13 DEADLINE IS JUNE 1

The Alaska Legislature has begun transmitting some of the key bills passed in the closing days of the regular session.  And that starts the constitutional clock ticking on the governor to sign or veto bills.  A key bill for public education, HB 13, must be acted on by June 1, according to the legislature’s website.  For a list of all bills waiting for the governor’s decision, click here:
http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_awaiting.asp?session=24&type_aw=G <http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_awaiting.asp?session=24&amp;type_aw=G>

HB 13 raises the Base Student Allocation to $5,380 on July 1 and enacts a new Area Cost Differential, as well as funnels Learning Opportunity Grants to school districts.  Other features of the bill create the School Performance Incentive sought by the governor and extends the school debt reimbursement program until 2008.

Also due for action by the governor on June 1 is the state operating budget, HB 365.  As yet, the legislature has not transmitted SB 231, the state capital budget which includes funding for the K-12 increases proposed in HB 13. SB 231 also funds about $172 million in school construction.

The constitution gives the governor 15 days (excluding Sundays) to act on bills while the legislature is in session and 20 days between sessions.

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES TO RESTART WORK ON OIL TAX

Now in the 10th day of a special legislative session, the Senate Finance Committee has scheduled meetings on Saturday and Sunday to take up a measure that failed in the final hours of the regular session on May 9th – revisions to the state’s petroleum production tax. At stake in the debate is up to several billion dollars a year in revenue from North Slope oil production. Education leaders are watching the issue more keenly than some observers because the fate of $73 million in new school construction and $183 million in Power Cost Equalization funding is tied to passage of a tax bill.

In passing SB 231, the capital budget, the legislature set conditioned several appropriations on enactment of higher oil taxes. Among the appropriations in SB 231 that were linked in that way were new schools in the communities of New Stuyahok, Kongiganak, and Noatak.  The deposit of $182 million into the endowment fund for rural energy subsidies also was linked to oil taxes.

Governor Murkowski announced yesterday he would reintroduce an oil tax bill that failed two weeks ago.  In anticipation of the bill, the Finance Committee announced tentative hearings for this weekend.  

According to leaders of both houses, the legislature will recess its special session next week for a vacation over the Memorial Day weekend and resume work around May 30.  The special session is limited to 30 days, making June 8th the deadline for any votes.