Latest news with #HB241
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Changes coming to Magoffin County Schools schedule: How students might still be able to have a full spring break
MAGOFFIN COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) — Following weeks of inclement weather in February and March, district leaders with Magoffin County Schools have made changes to the rest of the year's schedule to stay on track for the final day of classes and ceremonies. The district posted on Facebook on Friday that, as a result of the schedule changes, March 31 through April 2, which had originally been part of the county's spring break, will be regular instruction days. Beshear vetoes anti-DEI bill for public Kentucky colleges: 'House Bill 4 is about hate' 'Contingent upon the Governor signing HB241, the last day for students will be Wednesday, May 28th, with no changes to the daily schedule,' school leaders wrote. 'The HWMS Promotion Ceremony is set for Thursday, May 29th, and the MCHS Graduation Ceremony for Friday, May 30th.' Magoffin County Schools wrote that educators understand families may have already planned trips during the three days and said students with trips planned that hold 'significant educational value' can turn in an Educational Enhancement Opportunity (EHO) form for approval. Video: Beshear spends time serving burgers and milkshakes in Owensboro Storm survey: EF1 tornado touched down near northern Kentucky airport Fayette County educator reacts to Trump's executive order dismantling Department of Education 'These forms allow students to receive an excused absence for educational activities that provide enrichment aligned with their learning,' the district wrote. EHO forms can be viewed and submitted online here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What really happened with the bill banning collective bargaining?
A bill banning public sector collective bargaining was one of the most controversial bills of the 2025 session, but the bill sponsor, Rep. Jordan Teuscher shared that this bill has been a work in progress for years. HB267 was signed by Gov. Spencer Cox on Feb. 14, and last week Teuscher, R-South Jordan, had an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal which described what his negotiations with public labor unions, specifically the Utah Education Association, looked like. After the op-ed ran, Teuscher offered context and background on HB267 and his thoughts on public labor unions to the Deseret News. In the op-ed, Teuscher specifically called out certain actions of the Utah Education Association, one of the biggest advocates against HB267. He said the union went back on promises made and was difficult to work with. In response to what Teuscher wrote, the UEA told the Deseret News they disagreed with Teuscher's characterizations of the negotiations, adding they didn't make the promises he said they did. Teuscher said the path to introducing HB267 started after he worked with the UEA and other unions while running a bill on curriculum transparency in schools. During that time he said he recognized issues with the public labor unions that he wanted to address. 'As I dived into it, learned more about how collective bargaining worked and how you have some districts that have 25% of members of the union that get to speak for 100% of everyone, and they have this monopoly in collective bargaining, I thought, 'this is wrong,'' Teuscher said. During the 2023 session, he introduced HB241, which focused on the financial side of public labor unions. Teuscher said he introduced that bill late in the session to gauge reactions and to see how he could move forward with similar legislation in the future. Teuscher returned in 2024 with HB285, which addressed collective bargaining as well as payroll deductions. 'It had the recertification provision in it that said, in order to collective bargain, you have to have at least 50% of the members of the employee class be members of the union,' Teuscher said. Many unions were against the bill. Teuscher said he had the votes to pass the bill a year ago but after feedback from stakeholders and conversations with leadership, he decided to pull the bill as a measure of good faith. Along with negotiations for pulling HB285, Teuscher said the UEA agreed to stay neutral on Amendment A — a constitutional amendment that would have expanded how the income tax could be used — and he believed collaboration would be better than confrontation. 'We were wrong. The moment the legislative session ended, the UEA reneged. Not only did it oppose the amendment, it also filed a lawsuit to remove it from the November ballot. The union exploited our good faith,' Teuscher wrote for The Wall Street Journal. In a statement to the Deseret News the UEA said they never agreed to be neutral on Amendment A. Over the interim, he worked on preparing a new bill focused on public labor unions and collective bargaining, which became HB267. Teuscher said he told the unions he would be putting together a new bill for 2025, but that it had nothing to do with Amendment A and what happened in 2024. He said one reason he chose to address public sector collective bargaining completely with HB267 is because he heard from teachers who said that even with unions who have a majority of employees as members, there were still people who weren't able to have their voices heard. He said he also decided during the interim that he didn't believe he could work well with the UEA. 'I've tried working with the UEA. ...It doesn't get me anywhere. They're not a good faith actor. We saw what they did at the end of the session. They made promises during the session on Amendment A and completely reneged on that promise,' Teuscher said. In the statement sent to the Deseret News the UEA responded to claims made by Teuscher in his Wall Street Journal piece. 'It was disheartening to see Rep. Jordan Teuscher use a national platform to misrepresent the Utah Education Association's (UEA) positions on Constitutional Amendment A and the 2025 labor bill. Utahns deserve honest discussions, not misleading claims that attempt to undermine those who serve our communities every day,' read the statement from the UEA. As the bill made its way through the Legislature, some referred to HB267 as Teuscher's 'revenge bill' against the UEA. But, Teuscher said, 'I've been working on this issue for a really long time, and trying to get the right policy in place. Just because they've been a bad actor isn't the reason that we're running this bill now.' When HB267 was first introduced at the start of the session there was immediate backlash. Hundreds of public employees opposed to the bill filled multiple overflow rooms. Other lawmakers said they had heard more about HB267 from their constituents than any other bill. Because of this reaction, Teuscher said he worked with the unions to try to come to a compromise. The original version of the bill completely banned collective bargaining, and after negotiations, Teuscher published a substitute to the bill that would allow collective bargaining if a majority of employees were members of the bargaining unit. 'You know, no one worked harder to try to get to that compromise. And I truly believe that. I mean, how many meetings, late night meetings we had with labor unions in this room trying to get to somewhere or phone calls or whatever,' Teuscher said. When the substitute was first decided on, Teuscher said he had eight major public labor unions in the state neutral on the bill, but then after the substitute was introduced some of the unions took back their support. He said he heard some of them reneged because their national parent organizations asked them to. The bill was sitting in the Senate while Teuscher and others were working towards a compromise. After the compromise did not work out, the Senate decided to go ahead and pass the original version of the bill to completely ban public sector collective bargaining. The UEA told the Deseret News that they believe they honored their commitment to be neutral on the changes made to HB267. In his interview with the Deseret News, Teuscher expressed concern that the Republican Party is becoming friendlier with public sector unions, referencing Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, working on legislation to expand unions' powers and the Teamsters speaking at the Republican Convention. This concern is what led him write the piece for The Wall Street Journal. 'I'm like, guys, this is not the direction that we should be going as a party, and so I felt like it was important to share that message nationally,' Teuscher said. HB267 will prohibit public sector collective bargaining. Collective bargaining is when an employer and a union come together to negotiate a contract for employees. The bill also provides professional liability insurance that teachers would be able to opt into. Teuscher also submitted a Request for Appropriations that would give the state government the option to pay for part of these insurance policies for teachers. Now that the bill has been signed it will go into effect on July 1, 2025. 'What it doesn't do is it doesn't affect the relationship between any employer or employee in the state that wants to identify with a union, join a union, pay union dues, participate in a union, do union activity,' Teuscher said.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill giving schools time to make up for lost days gets approval despite changes: Here's what lawmakers added
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — Thursday marked an action-packed Kentucky Senate session when a bill that started the day as one thing ended up as something different. Approved by the Senate Education Committee in late February, House Bill 241 would allow districts to extend the school day to avoid going to class into June as a result of snow, flooding, and other unforeseen issues. Ahead of the voting session on Thursday morning, Republican lawmakers reportedly added an unrelated measure that would keep a new online school in Western Kentucky open, leaving one of the bill's original sponsors, Rep. Timmy Truett—an elementary school principal in Jackson County—to fight against his legislature. Bill lowering the age to carry a concealed weapon in Kentucky moves forward Kentucky bill to increase toughness on repeated protection order violators advances in senate Bill giving schools time to make up for lost days gets approval despite changes: Here's what lawmakers added 'This bill started off as a really good bill, but I'm principled enough to know. If I think this is going to go on my bill, that it's going to harm public education; it's going to harm my students. I will speak against my own bill and try my best to kill it.' Despite its last-minute amendment, HB 241 passed the full senate on Thursday afternoon. Next, it will be sent back to the House, which has to approve the changes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kentucky legislator wants to kill bill protecting controversial virtual school
A bill intended to address lost instructional time from school closures has been amended to keep a virtual school from closing — prompting the bill's sponsor to say he'd "try my best to kill it." House Bill 241, sponsored by Republican Rep. Timmy Truett, would let the state's education commissioner grant up to five "disaster relief" days during which schools could provide alternative instruction when a district closes "for health or safety reasons." It would also let districts extend student attendance days to meet the legally required minimum instruction hours. At a Senate Education Committee meeting Thursday, Truett, an elementary school principal, said his bill "started off as a really good bill" and attaching the virtual school legislation would "harm public education. It's going to harm my students." HB 241 passed out of the House last month with a 82-7 vote. It was assigned to the Senate Education Committee, which initially voted in favor of the bill. However, the bill was returned to the committee on Wednesday, where it was combined with a Senate measure aimed at protecting the Kentucky Virtual Academy. Senate Bill 268 proposed prohibiting a cap on enrollment for all virtual programs for the next three years. It was filed in response to the Kentucky Department of Education's efforts to limit enrollment at the Kentucky Virtual Academy, which has repeatedly failed to meet staff and testing requirements. The school, which opened in 2023 through a partnership with Cloverport Independent Schools and Stride, Inc., has experienced rapid growth in its enrollment, drawing thousands of students from across the state. The Senate Education Committee met a day after The Courier Journal published an article on the school, stating the company running the program has been accused of mismanaging funds and failing students in various ways over the past 15 years. SB 268 had passed unanimously out of the Senate Education Committee but had yet to be considered for a full floor vote. Republican Sen. Steve West, chairman of the committee, told The Courier Journal there were concerns the bill wouldn't get "as nice of a reception in the House once it went over," and Truett's bill as written didn't have enough support to succeed on its own. He added it's common for bills to blend together so they can pass both chambers before a veto period begins. "The reason for that is it's a negotiation process," West said. "It's a compromise process between the House and the Senate. They want what they want. We want what we want, and ... negotiating is what makes it across the finish line." Truett took issue with the decision to combine the bills, saying he would speak against his own legislation. HB 241, on its own, "helps just about every district in the state of Kentucky, especially those districts in Eastern Kentucky that are struggling with the extreme weather and the flooding and all of that," Truett told The Courier Journal. "So it's a great bill. But the way politics works, sometimes you get surprised, and there was a amendment thrown on the bill that goes against some of the things that I believe in and that I disagree with." Truett clarified that while he isn't against the Kentucky Virtual Academy, he is concerned the Senate measure wouldn't allow "any restrictions" to be put in place on the school until 2028. "The thing about it is I'm afraid that growing at the rate that they're growing and struggling like they are, (along) with the extra students enrolling, I'm afraid (the bill) be more harmful than helpful," Truett said. "So if we could put some guard rails up, I would support that." Truett added while he respects West and the education committee, no one reached out to him to ask whether it was OK to attach the Senate measure to his bill. West, meanwhile, said he did not "personally talk to Truett," but Truett knew that "this was happening." He also pointed out that the virtual academy has only been operating for about one year, and a group of lawmakers want to give it more time instead of shutting it down. "We understand there are issues there, and we understand those issues will need to be addressed and should be addressed, but our policy consideration was that they needed a little bit more time," West said during the committee meeting. "This is an innovative thing. With any experiment or innovative thing, you're going to make mistakes, and sometimes you don't get it right the first time, so it does take a little time." HB 241, with the committee substitute, passed out of the committee on an 8-2-1 vote. Republican Sen. Lindsey Tichenor said she voted no because the bill covers "two very different things." Democratic Sen. Reggie Thomas, who represented the other "no" vote, called the added Senate measure "a poison pill" and cited statistics on the company's performance from The Courier Journal article. "We should wipe off this amendment. This school should never be allowed to operate here in Kentucky," Thomas said. If the Senate passes the bill as amended, it will get sent back to the House for concurrence. The House can either vote to accept the Senate's changes and send the bill to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's desk, or it could vote not to concur and send the bill to a conference committee made up of members of both chambers. Reach reporter Hannah Pinski at hpinski@ or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @hannahpinski. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Legislator wants to kill bill protecting Kentucky Virtual Academy
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Utah may remove incentives for solar power projects based on their location
A solar installation in Emery County, with PacifiCorp's Hunter coal-fired power plant in the background, is pictured on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Building large solar energy plants in Utah may become a more arduous endeavor this year, especially if they are located on certain farmland. That's if HB241 passes this legislative session. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Colin Jack, R-St George, eliminates incentives meant to fund big solar developments if they are located on what the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food defines as 'productive farmlands.' The bill 'attempts to find the balance between having food to eat and not having food to eat,' said Jack, who has successfully run a number of proposals to ensure the state has enough on-demand energy, especially from coal-fueled power plants. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX After the full House voted 54-12 to approve the bill on Monday, it now goes to the Senate for its consideration. Incentives restricted from projects in farmlands include a clean energy systems tax credit, a tax credit for high-cost infrastructure projects, and an alternative energy development tax credit. According to Jack, his bill is a solution addressing a concern that his constituents brought to him — 'a lot of their productive farm and ranch land was being consumed with large solar fields,' he said. The legislation changed a lot from its original version, which set strict requirements for lot size, height, setbacks, noise levels and visual appearance that some considered to be too restrictive for most large solar plants. But, those are now gone, and the bill now only removes state financial incentives. Additionally, HB241 requires the solar energy industry to consult with state biologists about migrations and endangered species in the location of potential solar fields for large projects. Also, they should have a decommissioning fund and plan to reclaim the land where the units sit with either a landowner or a governing local authority. The bill doesn't limit anyone from pursuing solar power projects on their own land and with their own money, Jack said. It only disincentives building them on farmlands. And, lands that are partially adequate to grow food may still access part of the incentives if they have certain characteristics. 'I worry about the message that we are removing (Utah) from solar and not thriving with renewable energy,' said Rep. Rosalba Dominguez, D-Salt Lake City, during the debate. However, she added that she appreciates the intention of protecting farmers and food production. This is the latest bill proposal that has been controversial among those advocating for clean energy. The state is also studying and advancing a bill this session to impose a substantial tax for privately-owned solar and wind power projects to fund an endangered wildlife account. HB241, however, changed on Monday to clarify that it wouldn't affect projects that are already in the works. While Jack reiterated that the bill wouldn't directly tell landowners how to use their plots, Rep. Scott Chew, R-Jensen, said he still struggled with it, since it still represents another limit on what property owners can do with their lands 'Maybe it doesn't limit them, but it limits the opportunities that they can do with their private property,' Chew said. 'So I'm having a hard time continuing on with this bill.' But others, like Rep. Troy Shelley, R-Ephraim, supported the idea, arguing that it provides more accountability for solar energy developers. 'A lot of times, individuals (…) or corporations, when they build something like this, and it all collapses and falls to pieces, they walk away from it,' Shelley said. 'And this creates a bond so that they can't walk away.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
