Latest news with #CandicePierucci
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge finds ‘Utah Fits All' scholarship unconstitutional, legislature to review options
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Utah's Third District Court has found the 'Utah Fits All' scholarship program to be unconstitutional, in a ruling from the court earlier today. The suit, brought by the Utah Education Association, originally claimed that the scholarship program was unconstitutional because the program used funds from Utah's income tax, which is earmarked exclusively for public education funding. It further claimed that the Utah Constitution guarantees that all children will be included in public education, and that the school voucher program did not do this. PREVIOUS: UEA files lawsuit against controversial school voucher program, claims it's unconstitutional The court agreed with both points, saying, 'The legislature does not have plenary authority to circumvent these constitutional requirements by simply declining to 'designate' the program as part of the public education system. And because there is no genuine dispute that the program fails to meet these 'open to all children' and 'free' requirements, it is unconstitutional under article X of the Utah Constitutional.' 'In reaching this conclusion, the court makes no judgement as to the value of 'school choice' or private school vouchers,' The ruling continues. 'But 'school choice' or vouchers for children without disabilities was never discuss, much less debated, in connection with the legislatures passage of Amendment G. And, more importantly, the voters were never informed that Amendment G was about 'school choice' or vouchers for children without disabilities.' In a statement to UEA Communications Director Hailey Higgins said, 'The Utah Education Association celebrates today's court ruling deeming the Utah Fits All voucher program unconstitutional. This is a significant victory for public education and a reaffirmation that public money belongs in public schools.' Rep. Candice Pierucci (R-South Jordan), the original sponsor of the Utah Fits All program, called the decision made by Judge Laura S. Scott 'judicial activism,' and says she is not done fighting. 'This past year, thousands of families have had access to the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program to customize their child's learning experience,' Pierucci's statement reads. 'The decision made by Judge Scott is judicial activism; it is not the job of judiciary to set policy on the bench and infuse personal opinion and ideology into their decisions. We are not done fighting this fight and will appeal this decision to the Utah Supreme Court.' Utah legislative leadership and Governor began to weigh in after the ruling was rendered. Senate President J. Stuart Adams saying in a statement, 'It is disappointing that the court would remove parents' ability to choose the best educational path for their children. However, we remain unwavering in our commitment to providing the best education for all Utah families and kids. We will carefully review the court's decision and then determine the next steps.' Speaker Mike Schultz shared similar sentiments calling the decision a 'devastating setback' for Utahns. 'This decision is a devastating setback for Utah families,' Schultz began. 'The Utah Fits All Scholarship isn't just about choice; it's about empowering parents to secure the best possible learning environments for their children's future success. We're unwavering in our commitment to ensuring that every Utah student, irrespective of zip code or income, has equal access to the educational opportunities they rightfully deserve. We will vigorously pursue every avenue, including the Utah Supreme Court, to overturn this decision and restore hope for Utah's students and families.' In a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Governor Cox expressed disappointment in the decision, saying that Utah Families had a right to make choices about their children's education, and said they will be reviewing ruling with legal staff. 'While we are disappointed in the court's decision, our commitment to Utah families and their right to make choices about their children's education remains unchanged,' Cox said. 'We will be reviewing the ruling without attorneys and preparing to appeal.' At this time, details are limited on what an appeal would look like. A status conference is scheduled for the decision on April 23. It is also currently unknown how the decision will affect ongoing voucher payments to current recipients. This is a developing story. ABC4 will update this post as new information becomes available. Judge finds 'Utah Fits All' scholarship unconstitutional, legislature to review options Appeals court halts Boasberg's contempt proceedings against Trump administration Meet 'Safety Stache': UFA shares fire safety messages with a touch of humor Clearer skies arriving this weekend Utahn recalls largest Good Friday earthquake, the largest in U.S. history Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A cap in extracurriculars and no more skiing under new Utah Fits All proposal
About 80% of Utah Fits All scholarship recipients are homeschoolers and the remaining 20% use the funds for private school, according to Rep. Candice Pierucci, R-Herriman. (Photo) The Utah Fits All Scholarship program may tighten its requirements and guidelines on how Utah families can use their educational voucher dollars during the 2025 legislative session. But, with those new restrictions may also come more funding. The program, created in 2023, has now been effective for a year, giving lawmakers an idea of what tweaks need to be made to make it sustainable. This year, Rep. Candice Pierucci, R-Herriman is sponsoring HB455, a bill strengthening the requirements for the program and establishing limits for extracurricular and physical education expenses. To the dismay of some of the parents whose kids benefit from the program, if HB455 passes, the scholarship won't cover ski passes or lift tickets, or chaperone expenses for field trips. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The House Education Committee voted unanimously to move the bill to the House Floor for its consideration. 'This bill really works to create guardrails around expenses and program management, clears up confusion on the policy and implementation and management, and really works to create stability and structure to the program for success moving forward,' Pierucci told the committee. About 80% of scholarship recipients are homeschoolers and the remaining 20% use the funds for private school, putting Utah in a unique position compared to other 'school choice' programs across the country, she said. While families of all incomes can apply to Utah Fits All, there are income preferences in place, and HB455 makes clear the state will take into consideration the household's income, not just an individual. The proposal also allows the state to verify that recipients' primary addresses are in Utah and puts specific requirements for program managers. But what caused the most concern among the program's advocates who spoke in the public comment period was the new expense limit — physical education and extracurriculars each cannot exceed 20% of the full $8,000 scholarships. Judge hears arguments in case alleging Utah's 'school choice' program is unconstitutional Ray Ward, a parent of two Utah Fits All recipients, said that homeschooling restored her kids' confidence after experiencing a tough time in the public school system. While she supports the bill's enhanced guardrails, she urged lawmakers to reconsider the caps on extracurriculars. 'Public school students have unrestricted access to elective sports and clubs, only limited by their schedules. Homeschoolers deserve the same flexibility,' she said. 'The less I spend on a subject, the more labor I take on as the primary teacher. A lower cost does not mean less emphasis. It means more of my time.' Jennifer McClellan, who has three children in the program, said the bill would have an impact on parents' curriculum choices. 'As a homeschool parent, we have the right to choose our curriculum for our child. So defining what is extracurricular seems like something that just can't really be done. How can the state define what we feel is curricular for our children?' she said. Arts, music and languages are part of core standards, Pierucci said, so these wouldn't be considered extracurricular activities. She also reminded the committee that the cap is a compromise, since there has been a lot of pushback to eliminate extracurriculars altogether. The Utah Fits All program has been controversial among the education community. It has even been challenged in court by the Utah Education Association, the state's large teacher union, arguing that the program takes much-needed funds away from public schools. 'When I initially ran this bill, I feel like I made a commitment to make sure that we were good stewards of taxpayer dollars,' Pierucci said. 'And I think that this bill moves us in the right direction of allowing innovation, education and customization, while also being responsible for the funding structure.' While there are some similar state-funded scholarships, Utah is a bit unique because most recipients are homeschooled, Cullimore told reporters on Monday. 'I think there's just been some confusion for the program manager on what's appropriate. So the cleanup bill just establishes better parameters for that, and says what extracurricular things can be done,' he said. When looking at the expense data, Cullimore said, close to 80% of the funds for homeschoolers were used to cover curriculum costs. About 10% went to educational supplies and 'far less than 10%' was for extracurricular activities. Utah teachers, stretched by stress and student behavior, are asking for more funding Cullimore made an ongoing appropriation request of $80 million, which would provide scholarships to 10,000 more students. That's on top of the $82.5 million in annual taxpayer funding. 'We have 27,000 applicants, so another $80 million doesn't even fund the full waiting list. But like I said, it's a tight budget year. We put the request out there. It's likely to come down, maybe substantially come down,' Cullimore said. But that's still part of the budget negotiations, he said. When asked whether Pierucci's bill acknowledges a lack of accountability on the scholarships expenses, Cullimore stood in defense of the program, arguing that every expense has been registered. 'When we hear about the accountability argument, most of the time they're talking about educational accountability, which, we can talk about the philosophical differences there and trusting parents and families to know what's best for their kids' education,' Cullimore said. 'But as far as the finances, that's pretty transparent.' Senate Minority Whip Karen Kwan, D-West Valley City, said that every time the state takes money out of public education, it hurts schools, families and teachers. 'To put an additional $80 million will further exacerbate some of the issues that were happening in our local schools,' Kwan said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utah lawmaker defends bill allocating extra funds for English-language learners despite pushback
With loud clamoring across the country for the deportation of immigrants here illegally, Rep. Candice Pierucci said her proposal to increase funding to aid English-language learners in Utah's schools has plenty of naysayers. "I have gotten a lot of pushback on this bill, a lot. And there are people who feel like we should not be doing anything," she said Thursday at a hearing on the measure, HB42, before the Senate Education Committee. The Republican from Herriman, however, remains adamant that the measure is needed. Doing nothing "is not going to fix the problems in the classroom," she said. She feels "very strongly" that the measure is needed to "make sure we are getting the resources to the front lines, to our students and teachers." The measure received a favorable recommendation from the Education Committee in a unanimous voice vote on Thursday and now goes to the full Utah Senate for consideration. It received unanimous support from the Utah House in a 71-0 vote last week. The measure would allocate $500,000 a year in extra funds to aid public school districts in Utah experiencing the sharpest jumps in numbers of English-language learners, typically immigrant students. The strong legislative backing notwithstanding, the notion of bolstering money to help a pool of kids likely to include students here illegally rubs some the wrong way. Amid increased calls by many to crack down on illegal immigration, most notably from President Donald Trump, conservative Utah influencer Eric Moutsos, for one, takes umbrage with the idea. "Yes, we all know the massive problem of illegal aliens in Utah, but is $500,000 of taxpayer money going to deter people from coming to Utah, or is this a clarion type call incentive for more illegals aliens to come with their children?" he said in a post on his X account last week. Pierucci countered the foes, though, noting that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that schools must offer instruction to all students regardless of their migratory status. She also emphasized the measure as a means of aiding teachers contending with the influx of English-language learners, who typically need extra or specialized attention. "Also, teachers are not ICE," Pierucci said, referencing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency tasked with pursuing immigrants here illegally. "They are not the border police. Their job is to teach children. We've given that impossible task to them right now and I'm trying to make it easier for them." As of 2024, Utah schools had experienced an 81% jump in the number of children with the most rudimentary levels of English compared to the average for the prior three years, according to Pierucci. The presence of such students can hamper instruction for the broader pool of kids, she said, citing the example of one teacher she spoke with. The teacher "would present the subjects she was teaching on and then one of the students who spoke Spanish and English would translate for six other students," she said. "That was the only option they had." Districts experiencing jumps of at least 75% in the numbers of English-language learners with the most basic level of English over the prior three-year average would be able to tap into the $500,000. They'd also have to experience jumps of at least 30 students in the category. The funding could be used as recipient districts see fit. Liliana Bolaños, a policy analyst with Voices for Utah Children, a nonprofit child advocacy group, expressed support for the bill, but said extra funding should also be available for districts that already have high numbers of English-language learners. After Thursday's hearing, Pierucci said districts typically get an extra funding allowance from the state for the numbers of English-language learners in their schools. Funds from HB42 would be aimed at supplementing schools that experience large unexpected spikes in such students at the start of each school year, before the state makes the extra funding allocation. HB42 received favorable comments, by and large, from Senate Education Committee members. HB42 isn't "just about translating for our students. It's about providing them with an education that teaches them how to navigate an English-speaking world," said Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights. Sen. John Johnson, R-North Ogden, sees HB42 as a way of bolstering support for Utah teachers contending with increasing numbers of English-language learners. "I don't especially care where these kids came from. This is about supporting teachers and it's supporting our schools," he said. "Someone else can worry about why these kids are here or anything else. But this really is about supporting our teachers who are struggling with this." According to Utah Board of Education figures, Granite School District experienced a 76% jump in English-language learners in 2024 compared to the prior three-year average, from 2,298 to 4,041. Jordan School District experienced a 108% jump, from 723 to 1,502. The numbers represent students with the most basic English skills as determined from standardized testing.
Axios
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Hill Highlights: Making "Utahn" permanent and glass recycling
Have you ever been erroneously referred to as a "Utahan?" The big picture: State Sen. Dan McCay (R-Riverton) is so tired of it that he's sponsoring a bill that would make "Utahn" the official state demonym. What they're saying: "While it may seem trivial, I think how we're known and how people see Utahns is important, and we want to make sure they spell it correctly," he said at a legislative committee hearing this week, per KUER. What we're watching: A bill to remove obstacles to deport immigrants living in the country illegally with misdemeanor offenses has been changed to concentrate on violent crimes. HB 226, sponsored by state Rep. Candice Pierucci (R-Herriman), previously sought to extend all class A misdemeanor maximum sentences by one day (364 to 365 days). A full year of incarceration could trigger deportation for an immigrant, according to federal law. HB 177, which has received bipartisan support, would direct the Utah Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control to study how to ramp up glass recycling. It's making its way through the Senate now. 💬 Hill Highlights is a weekly feature to recap what's going during Utah's legislative session.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utah House votes to streamline deportations of immigrants convicted of crimes
The Utah House voted on Wednesday to enable federal authorities to immediately deport immigrants convicted of violent class A misdemeanors. Lawmakers approved HB226 in a vote of 62 to 9, with multiple Democrats crossing the aisle to approve one of the central proposals in Republicans' public safety package this legislative session. The bill, if passed by the Senate and signed by the governor, would reverse a 2019 law, passed unanimously, that decreased the maximum sentence for a class A misdemeanor by one day, to 364 days, in an attempt to skirt federal immigration policy that allows the automatic deportation of immigrants who are sentenced to 365 days or more. This one-day reduction was highlighted in discussions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials as an obstacle for federal authorities seeking to work with Utah law enforcement to deport immigrants who are in the country illegally, said bill sponsor Rep. Candice Pierucci, R-Riverton. 'We are righting the course in Utah and aligning ourselves to make sure ... we are working with the federal government to make sure (that violent criminals) are not in our country when they are here illegally,' Pierucci said before the floor vote. The version of the bill passed by the House narrowed the impacted charges from all class A misdemeanors, which were included in the original bill language, to only those that are 'crimes against persons,' including domestic abuse, assault and DUIs. This change is what won the support of at least one Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Andrew Stoddard, D-Sandy, who voted against the bill in committee because he thought it could lead to relatively small offenses resulting in family separation. 'I think it does more narrowly tailor it to the people that we need to get off the streets,' Stoddard said. 'This is something that people care about.' The bill addresses several steps in the criminal justice process to streamline the deportation of convicted immigrants and to improve data collection on immigrant-related crime. Beyond changing the class A misdemeanor sentence, Pierucci's bill would: Allow Utah officials to dissolve a nonprofit organization if it is convicted of knowingly transporting unauthorized immigrants into the state. Give judges the presumption that individuals are considered a flight risk for bail if they are not lawfully present in the country. Require prison employees to submit the immigration status of an individual to a court as part of the probable cause statement. Require law enforcement to coordinate with federal immigration authorities before releasing an immigrant charged with a class A misdemeanor or a felony. These policies have long been implemented by county sheriffs but Pierucci's bill would be 'codifying best practice,' she said. 'This is what our sheriffs are already doing, we're just putting it into code.' A Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll conducted in December found that 86% of all Utah voters said they support Trump's promise to conduct deportations for unauthorized immigrants who have committed crimes in the U.S. HB226 will now appear before a Senate committee before it comes before the higher chamber for a vote. In response to the passage of Pierucci's bill, Senate leadership reiterated the state's focus on keeping communities safe, not putting immigrant communities on edge. 'We do want violent criminals to leave the state,' Senate Majority Assistant Whip Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, said on Wednesday. McKell said he heard from a business owner on Wednesday morning who said some of his 300 employees are not coming to work out of fear that they will be 'picked up on the way in.' 'I don't think that's the intention of anybody here,' McKell said. 'I know people are fearful, but that's not what's happening and I think we probably need a little bit of help messaging that because it's not happening and we appreciate these folks.' Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, and Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, told reporters on Wednesday that there is 'consensus' about limiting deportation efforts to those who have been convicted of crimes in the state of Utah.
