We are almost in the stretch run in the Legislature. We voted on
35 bills today, and our target date is still the 20th of March.
1. BURNT TOAST EVACUATES CAPITOL BUILDING--at 11:45 am on Tuesday
while debating the vicious dog bill--the alarms went off and
everyone
evacuated the capitol building. We thought it might be a bomb
scare or a
fire. It turned out to be Rep. Reid Hansen's sourdough bread
stuck in a
toaster--emitting enough smoke to run us all out of the Capitol.
2. CHARTER SCHOOLS--The Senate passed the Charter School bill
with one negative vote. The Governor will sign the bill next
week.
3. HEAD START--This program failed to receive funding this year.
Attempts
will be made to get funding as a line item in the Dept. of Ed.
budget in 99.
4. 129,000 TRUCK WEIGHT BILL--This bill passed out of the Senate
Transportation
Committee by a 5-4 vote. It now goes to the full Senate for a
vote. Sen.
Schroeder expressed resentment over what he thought were threats
aimed at trying to get him to change his vote. There is intense
lobbying
pressure.
5. CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL BONDING BILL--This bill passed the Senate by
a 29-6 margin. The plan would cut the cost of building schools
up to $40
million over the next 20 years. The savings would be achieved by
lowering
the interest rate school districts pay when they borrow money to
put up new
facilities. The state would back the plan with it's AAA bond
rating. Similar
plans work in 19 other states. The legislation would not cost
the state
any money. No school district in the state has ever defaulted on
their bonds.
This is a good bill but it is only one part of the solution.
6. HIGHWAY 95 BILL--The outlook is not good on this bill. Sen. Jack
Riggs,
sponsor of the bill, reported there are enough votes in the
Senate to pass it.
The bill has been amended to put on the November ballot as an
advisory
vote by the citizens of the State. There is a good chance that
the bill even
as amended may not get out of the House.
7. HB773--Under this bill the Superintendent of Public Instruction
would become
essentially the President of the State Board, setting the
board's agenda
and calling meetings. Some supporter's viewed this position
as an
"Education Czar." The bill was strongly supported by Anne Fox
and Rep.
Ron Black (candidate for State Superintendent position). The
bill was held
in Committee by a 10-8 vote.
8. SALARIES FOR ELECTED STATE OFFICIALS--The House passed a bill
that would set the salary of the Governor from $85,000 to
$95,668/year.
This would be phased in over a four year period. This figures
out at about
a 3% increase per year. Similar increases are proposed for
other state
officials. House members were concerned that increases were
somewhat
comparable with the increases for state employees.
9. COUNTY LIQUOR LICENSE BILL KILLED--The House State Affairs
Committee
rejected a bill that would have helped rural clubs with wine and
beer license
get a liquor license. County Commissioners would have been given
authority to grant the license.
10. CAPTIAL DEFENSE FUND--Legislation which would provide a public
defender in
death penalty cases was sent to the Governor. The jbill sets up
a Capital Crimes
Defense fund. Counties that choose to pay into the fund could
draw on it when
they have a case.
Rep. Tom Trail/Dist. 5
6.
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