Well, our Missouri General Assembly members are back in the saddle. And Education is one of the races we will be running… hoping to beat the odds and win the prize of a solid public education for all Missouri students.
For many of us Missouri educators, Otto Fajen is our man in the Capital and he is a capital man, a man of excellent background, service and energy in pursuing all avenues to help us stay in touch with how education is faring among our legislators and consequently with us and our children.
What follows is the first of many reports I’ll post directly from our point person in the Capital. Beside the education specific news, there is some good information and links to helpful sites where you can follow the activities of our General Assembly.
I hope this help us all keep tabs on our legislators to see that they are really representing us.
Missouri NEA Legislative Update
Week 1, No. 1, January 4, 2012
By Otto Fajen
MNEA Legislative Director
SESSION RETURNS!
The 2012 legislative session began at noon on January 4, 2012. The MNEA Daily Legislative Update 2012 is back to cover daily events when the session begins. The daily updates will be available by email. The updates will keep you informed in a timely manner concerning developments on legislation affecting school children and school employees and will advise you of actions you can take to affect the legislative process. A weekly MNEA Legislative Update digest will also be posted on the MNEA website and will summarize legislative activity for the week.
LEGISLATIVE LEADERS SPEAK TO THEIR PRIORITIES
Senate President Pro Tem Rob Mayer gave the Senate’s opening address on January 4 (go to the Flash pane on the Senate homepage at: http://www.senate.mo.gov/). Sen. Mayer stressed Missouri’s state budget challenges. At this point, Missouri is expecting state revenue growth of 2.7% for this fiscal year, leaving roughly a $500M shortfall for FY 13, when loss of federal one-time aid and mandatory Medicaid expenses are factored in. Despite the profound difficulties the state will face because of these funding problems, Mayer ruled out any tax changes to increase state revenues. Regarding education, Mayer promised that the Senate would make K-12 and higher education funding a high priority. Mayer also said that the Senate would focus on improving the school systems in St. Louis City and Kansas City.
House Speaker Steven Tilley gave the opening address in the House (as of this writing, the written version of the speech was not available on the website, as the link connects to the 2011 address). Tilley also ruled out any increase in tax revenues to address the funding problems. Tilley gave few specifics regarding education priorities and spoke to ensuring “world class education for all students, regardless of income, geography or race,” which may translate into support for open enrollment legislation and expansion of charter schools.
SLOW ECONOMY AND LACK OF REVENUES MEAN FUNDING PROBLEMS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR
This will be a difficult year for public education funding in Missouri. A sluggish economy and tax cuts and tax giveaways enacted in recent sessions have significantly reduced state revenues. The budgeting outlook for next fiscal year looks bleak, and many important programs, such as pupil transportation and Parents as Teachers, have already lost funding in the last several years, while formula funding has remained flat for the last three years.
The Association urges the General Assembly to address the structural budget deficit, enact more responsible tax policy and ensure adequate funding for public education and other vital public services.
SPEAKER PADS HOUSE COMMITTEE TO MOVE EDUCATION AGENDA
House Speaker Stephen Tilley recently asked several of his caucus appointees to resign from the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee. When those members refused to resign, the Speaker added five additional caucus members to the committee, apparently to shift the policy balance of the committee on his priority issues, such as open enrollment, tax credit vouchers, charter school expansion and tenure repeal.
As of this writing, the House website shows that the Speaker has appointed Reps. Kurt Bahr, Jay Barnes, Mike Cierpiot, Doug Funderburk and Mike Leara to the committee. House Minority Leader Mike Talboy was allowed to add two committee members and selected Reps. Ira Anders and Chris Carter. This update will detail any further changes to the committee, which now totals 24 members.
These changes are likely to allow more harmful attacks on public schools to be brought to the House floor, and the Association will need strong member participation to defeat those proposals if they come to a floor vote. Stay tuned to these updates for Action Alerts this session on these key issues.
MISSOURI NEA’S COMPREHENSIVE GR PROGRAM
Missouri NEA will depend upon a grassroots lobbying effort led by MNEA and carried out by our Education Advocates and other members.
Here’s what you can do to support MNEA’s legislative agenda:
- Become a Missouri NEA Education Advocate (go to: http://www.mnea.org/Missouri/VolunteerActionCard.aspx.)
- Take the initiative to contact local legislators now to discuss our key issues.
- Attend the legislative brunch or dinner in your area.
- Attend the Missouri NEA Capitol Action Days for your Governance District. Capitol Action Days begin in February and continue until the end of session in May.
- Receive and read the daily MNEA Daily Legislative Update via email while the legislature is in session from January to May.
- Visit the Missouri Legislative Action Center:
http://capwiz.com/nea/mo/state/main/?state=MO
The Missouri Legislative Action Center (MLAC) is a convenient, web-based way to lobby state legislators (and other elected officials) on key education issues. MLAC uses a program called CapWiz to make sending an email on a priority issue quick and easy. As priority issues move forward this session, the MNEA Daily Legislative Update will provide links to Action Alerts on the MLAC web-site.
PLAN TO ATTEND YOUR MNEA LEGISLATIVE BRUNCH OR DINNER!
Legislative involvement is close to home at your MNEA Legislative Brunch or Dinner. The event is a great opportunity to visit with local area legislators and hear a legislative briefing.
Area legislative dinner/brunch schedule:
- Columbia Jan. 5, 2012
- Kansas City Jan. 28, 2012
- St. Louis Feb. 9, 2012
- Jefferson County Feb. 16, 2012
- St. Charles Feb. 23, 2012
- Springfield Mar. 17, 2012
CAPITOL ACTION DAYS RETURN!
MNEA Capitol Action Days will allow planned, face-to-face contact with legislators throughout the session. Capitol Action Days will generally be on Wednesdays starting in February and continuing through the end of session in May.
Your MNEA calendar includes the dates that MNEA Board of Directors members selected for your Governance District. If you are not able to attend on these designated days, feel free to contact Otto Fajen (otto.fajen@mnea.org) to arrange to attend a different Capitol Action Day. Each Capitol Action Day will start with a briefing at 10:00 a.m. to provide you with the most up-to-date information.
Typical Capitol Action Day Agenda
- 10:00 a.m. Meet for briefing, 2nd Floor Capitol Rotunda, Senate side alcove under the Grand Staircase
- 10:15 a.m. Visit with your legislator/watch floor debate
- 12:00 noon Invite legislator to lunch
- 1:00 – 4:30 p.m. Committee hearings, floor debate, visiting legislators
FINDING INFORMATION ABOUT BILLS
To find out more about legislation this session, go to:
http://www.mnea.org/Missouri/AtTheCapitol.aspx
This page contains numerous links, including the Legislative Action Center, which addresses key education issues at the federal and state level. This page also contains links to legislative updates, the MNEA Legislative Platform, legislative priorities and other policy-related links.
To find information about a specific bill currently pending before the Missouri General Assembly, go to:
http://www.house.mo.gov/billcentral.aspx
Type the bill number (example: HB1000) or sponsor name in the “search” box to find a link to the bill. This link will take you to a “home page” for the bill that provides bill text, bill summaries, fiscal notes and information on legislative action on the bill.
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