By: Charlie Kyte
This audioblog is 7 1/2 minutes long
Members of the MASA Legislative Committee listen to Senator Steve Kelley discuss the prospects for education legislation.
Representative Randy Demmer speaking to the Legislative Committee.
WHY WE MAY NOT SEE EITHER A K-12 EDUCATION BILL OR A TAX RELIEF BILL THIS YEAR:
K-12 Bill: You cannot easily have a finance Bill coming out of one of the committees unless 'targets' for spending are set first. There is a concern that no targets will be set until it is too late to put a Bill together, bring it into the conference committee setting and then reaching the compromises necessary to pass it into law.
Tax Relief problem: If the Senate concentrates on providing tax relief through the 'Local Government Aid' (LGA) process, and the House uses a variety of school tax relief mechanisms, the Bills will be in two separate conference committees. It will be hard to settle these differences if they need to be handled in two different committees.
Nothing in K-12 needs to be done in this session: Indeed, if there is no K-12 Bill or a Tax Relief Bill, there is really little harm (or help) for public education. Thus it is possible that no Bill will be agreed to by the House, the Senate and the Governor.
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