Senate committee passes good levy bill
Yesterday, the Senate Ways and Means committee approved
SHB 2893 without amendment. This measure will not only fund a 2% increase to current levy equalization payments (at a cost of $25 million), it will raise the levy lid 4% (and allow school districts who already have a levy a special opportunity to go back and ask for the additional 4%), and finally, it will allow school districts to consider the "phantom revenue" they would have received from the state for Initiative 728 (class size), Initiative 732 (salary increases), and any reduced K-4 class size funds.
Previous to this vote, there was an effort yesterday to change the way that the 2% additional levy equalization funds would be distributed. This effort was led by Senator Tom and would have created equalization chaos by taking money from some districts (who would be very unhappy) and giving it to other districts (who would be happy). Fortunately, Senator Tom did not try this effort yesterday. Could he bring it up on the Senate floor when they vote on it in the coming days? He could but I don't think he will.
Posted By: Doug Nelson on 3/10/2010 1:24:00 PM
2010 Session
,
Levy
Budget summary numbers as they head into negotiations
Below is the summary of important aspects of both the House and Senate 2010 Supplemental Operating Budgets. While we like the fact that the House cuts were so much smaller than the Senate, unfortunately the Revenue package they approved last night (early this morning), also raised $177 million less than they anticipated in their budget. When you look at these numbers, it is clear the major places for negotiations to take place are in the new revenue and cuts categories.
All the more reason to continue to let your Senator or Representative know that we need " more reform and revenue, not more cuts".
|
New Revenue* |
Cuts |
Federal Funds |
|
| House |
$680 million |
$605 million |
$641 million |
|
| Senate |
$890 million |
$838 million |
$583 million |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fund Transfers |
Ending Fund Balance |
|
| House |
$550 million |
$424 million |
|
|
| Senate |
$498 million |
$523 million |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| * The House budget assumed $857 million in new revenue, the
Senate Budget assumed $918 million |
Posted By: Doug Nelson on 3/9/2010 3:03:00 PM
2010 Session
,
Budget & Taxes
Senate continues to thwart effort to update funding formula
There is quite a struggle going on between the House and Senate over whether to make a commitment to improve the education funding formulas. With only 3 days to go in the regular session, this afternoon the Senate stripped off the House's amendment to
E2SSB 6696. The House's amendment would have implemented many of the Quality Education Council's recommendations; especially important to us was their support for placing our 58.75:1 ratio in the basic education act and moving up by two years the implementation of the new transportation funding formula.
We are disappointed in the Senate's efforts but all is not lost. Soon the House and Senate conferees will meet to hammer out a compromise.
Posted By: Doug Nelson on 3/8/2010 11:36:00 PM
2010 Session
,
Basic Ed Finance Reform
,
Education Reform
House approves budget with insurance sweetener
Late last night, the House approved it's supplemental operating budget on a vote of 55-43. After several hours of debate on numerous amendments, the one amendment that is most important to us is the insurance amendment offered by Representative Mark Ericks. As you know, there is a looming $200 million shortfall in the state employee insurance fund that needs to be filled. The House is appropriating $134 million to help fill the hole. This is significantly higher than the amount appropriated by the Senate ($22 million).
Return to Negotiation Table
In exchange for that higher funded amount, the House is requesting that unions return to the negotiating table to renegotiate the level of premium share that employees' will pay.
$90 Million Reserve Fund
Lastly, the amendment requires the PEBB to ensure that they have $90 million in reserves to avoid financial concerns raised by the State insurance commissioner. This will require an adjustment of employee co-pays and plan benefits in order to maintain the reserves.
Posted By: Doug Nelson on 3/6/2010 1:07:00 PM
2010 Session
,
Budget & Taxes
,
Higher Education
Reform movement hits Senate blockade
The House continues to put forth a strong commitment to implement the promises made in last year's education reform bill, 2261. Their enthusiasm however, has been met with a Senate that is more interested in keeping things the same.
House Action
This morning, the House approved
E2SSB 6696, on a strong bi-partisan vote of 76-22. This bill will implement the classified employee ratio in the prototype formula, implement the enhanced transportation funding formula in 2011, and increase the maintenance, supplies, and operating costs significantly over the next 3 years. It will also start funding improved class
size ratios in K-3 to 17:1. It should be mentioned that the impact of all of these changes may add up to $1 billion to education funding next biennium and $2 - 2.5 billion in the next biennium. Now that's what I call making a commitment to education.
The other aspect of the bill is that it implements the "Race to the Top" measures which will hopefully help qualify Washington state for the federal grants to improve schools that are not performing well.
Read More
Posted By: Doug Nelson on 3/5/2010 6:37:00 PM
2010 Session
,
Basic Ed Finance Reform
,
Education Reform
Safer crosswalks coming soon
This evening, the House gave final approval to PSE's effort to improve school crosswalk safety.
SSB 6363, sponsored by Spokane Senator Chris Marr, is headed to Governor Gregoire for her approval. This is the 3rd PSE bill in the last two days to make it to the Governor. Thanks and congratulations to PSE member Reen Doser, Linetter Lasher, and Auburn school district driver trainer April Hurlbert for their assistance and testimony. Without their efforts, we would not have made it this far in the legislative process in the first year the bill was introduced (most bills take several years to pass).
Posted By: Doug Nelson on 3/5/2010 12:18:00 AM
2010 Session
,
School Crosswalk Safety
Five year effort results in success
Earlier this evening, two PSE bills passed their final legislative hurdle are now onto the Governor for final approval. According to Ehren Flygare, he has worked on these bills for the last 5 years. Ehren's efforts this year, as they have been for the last 5 years, has been superb. The closer the bills came to success, the more his adrenaline rushed as he furtively went after each and every legislator he saw or could think of talking too. Though there were many reasons for our success this year, including the excellent testimony of Western Washington and Central Washington University members, Ehren's constant advocacy was crucial to our success.
Higher Education Collective Bargaining Bill
On a vote of 33 - 15, the Senate approved
ESHB 1560. Though there was a last minute snafu, the UW amendment had to be taken off of the bill, it didn't distract legislators enough to change the inevitable passage of the bill. In addition to getting all democrats to support it, we got two republican votes: Senator Benton and Roach.
Read More
Posted By: Doug Nelson on 3/3/2010 9:26:00 PM
2010 Session
,
Higher Education
,
Partial Service Retirement Credit
House committee approves ratio funding
Yesterday, the House Education Appropriations committee amended
2SSB 6760 to include the 58.75:1 classified employee ratio. The effect of this amendment, if this bill is signed into law, means that the 58.75 : 1 ratio will be considered part of basic education.
With the Senate's vote on this issue the other day, we now have both the House and Senate policy committees supporting our ratio. Now we need to make certain that the Senate Ways and Means committee approves 2776 as amended by the Senate Early Learning committee, and the House approves 6760.
Our continuing effort will be to make sure that the hard work we have put into the ratio enhancement sticks in the final days of the session. There are some legislators who are not as convinced as we would like them to be and may try to confuse the issue in the last days of the session.
Posted By: Doug Nelson on 2/26/2010 5:06:00 PM
2010 Session
,
Basic Ed Finance Reform
,
Education Reform
Higher ed bill passes labor committee
PSE's bill
(E2SHB1560) to improve collective bargaining procedures passed another committee yesterday, the Senate labor and commerce committee. Though there was some opposition, the bill passed with an amendment to make it easier to organize 60 employees at the University of Washington. This amendment was an interest of the WFT (Washington Federation of Teachers) and the state labor council. One amendment was stripped off the bill that was an interest of the SEIU 925. That amendment would have changed financial negotiations at the University of Washington.
One interesting thing that seemed too good to be true is that after the committee passed the bill they referred it to the Rules committee. All along we had assumed it would go next to the Senate Ways and Means committee. If this turns out to be true, this will give us a very good chance of this bill getting a Senate vote.
Posted By: Doug Nelson on 2/26/2010 4:53:00 PM
2010 Session
,
Higher Education
Ratio amendment approved in Senate education committee
This morning, the Senate Early Learning and K 12 committee, passed an amendment that puts the 58.75:1 classified employee ratio into the basic education act; for the first time ever. Once it gets in the basic education act, it will end the annual fight over the ratio funding.
The amendment was to
SHB 2776, the House's bill to implement the quality education council recommendations. PSE has been supportive of this bill because it includes the prototype funding for classified employee positions, it moves forward the transportation funding formula improvements to 2011, and it increases state funding for maintenance, supplies and operating costs. With the above amendment, PSE can unequivocally support the bill.
Here is the vote at this morning's committee meeting (boo! Senator Oemig):
Posted By: Doug Nelson on 2/24/2010 11:27:00 PM
2010 Session
,
Basic Ed Finance Reform
,
Education Reform
Higher ed collective bargaining gets plenty of attention
At last Monday's Senate Labor and Commerce committee hearing, PSE's higher ed collective bargaining bill, E2SHB 1560, had a good hearing (see below for footage of the testimony) with new amendments to consider and new supporters for the legislation.
We had a member from Central Washington University , Lindsey Groci, over to testify and she did an outstanding job. There was a hang up though and that was the fiscal note that was attached to 1560. The fiscal note was $650,000+ dollars. When we have a 2.8 billion dollar deficit this is what we call on the hill “death by fiscal note.”
Read More
Posted By: Doug Nelson on 2/24/2010 10:58:00 PM
2010 Session
,
Higher Education
3 important higher education issues continue to be debated
Despite both budgets being published, there are several issues affecting higher education classified employees still under consideration.
Insurance Benefits
There is a general recognition that there is roughly a $200 million problem with the PEBB/HCA insurance plan. The fight is over how much the employees will pay and how much the State will pay. The Senate proposed that the State pay roughly $22 million of the costs, get some amount from reserves, and have the employees pay the rest. This was a reduction from the Governor's proposal which would have funded about $51 million of the costs and taking the rest of the cost out of reserves.
The House, on the other hand, made no proposal today on the subject; they didn't have a proposal in place yet. So that put's us in a holding pattern. PSE has testified that employee's have paid enough and it is time for the State to take responsibility for the problem.
Read More
Posted By: Doug Nelson on 2/24/2010 10:40:00 PM
2010 Session
,
Higher Education
Classified ratio preserved by House
PSE's signature issue, improving the classified employee funding ratio, was championed not only by the House budget today but the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the League of Education Voters, and the Washington Education Association. After seeing the Senate cut the classified employee ratio back to its 1977 levels, we were pleased to see the House budget come out 2 hours later and preserve the 58.75 to one ratio PSE has fought so hard for over the last several years.
Now we need to make sure that when the final negotiations conclude that the House stands firm and supports 58.75 : 1.
Posted By: Doug Nelson on 2/24/2010 9:52:00 PM
2010 Session
,
Budget & Taxes
Other K 12 financial improvements in House budget
If you have looked at some of the previous spreadsheets detailing the positives and negatives of either the House or Senate budget, it is hard not to notice that the House followed through on a couple of very important subjects for us.
Levy Equalization
The House not only fully funded levy equalization, it also included funding for the additional 2% levy equalization increase if
SHB 2893 is passed.
Quality Education Council (QEC) Recommendations
In order to improve the funding for school transportation and the funding formulas, the State needs to provide seed money to develop the infrastructure so these new formulas can start up September 1, 2011. The House provided the necessary funds ($2.5 million) to get both of these new formulas up and running. The Senate only provided funding for the funding formulas.
Posted By: Doug Nelson on 2/24/2010 1:02:00 AM
2010 Session
,
Basic Ed Finance Reform
,
Education Reform
,
Pupil transportation