Latest news with #HouseBill1499
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Indiana bill to exempt some English language learners from reading retention heads to governor
Indianapolis Republican Rep. Robert Behning talks about his reading bill on April 22, 2025. (Casey Smith/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Exceptions to the state's new third grade retention law and tweaks to high school career fair requirements were baked into the final draft of a bill that's now en route to the governor's desk. House Bill 1499, a follow-up to last year's literacy overhaul law that requires reading-deficient third graders to be held back a year in school, earned unanimous approval from the House chamber on Tuesday. Current statute requires that — if after three attempts — a third grade student is unable to pass the IREAD assessment, they must be held back a year in school. This year's bill, once signed into law, will give students at least two chances to retake the exam over the summer to avoid retention. In 2024, roughly 10,500 Hoosier third graders were still unable to pass the IREAD after retaking the exam once over the summer, according to a legislative fiscal analysis. It also allows schools whose third grade student population is comprised of at least 50% English language learners to register those students with the Indiana Department of Education for an exemption from the retention requirement until until the beginning of the 2027-2028 academic year if they are unable to pass the IREAD. The exemption would apply to an estimated 797 third grade English language learner students annually across 38 Indiana public schools. The proposal, authored by Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis, additionally permits career fairs to be held off of school property — as long as the school provides transportation. Current state law requires high schools to hold an annual career fair for 11th and 12th grade students. Another piece of the bill reduces minimum work requirements for Indiana's work-study program from 12 to 10 hours per week. The state currently matches 50% of the hourly wage for high school and college students who participate in Employment Aid Readiness Network (EARN) Indiana. A fiscal analysis expects the change to increase the number of participating employers and students. Although earlier versions of the legislation sought to add new literacy endorsement mandates for school administrators, those provisions were ultimately deleted. A state law passed last year still requires Hoosier teachers to complete the 80-hour training. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
House passes bill that could bring bigger film productions to Missouri
MISSOURI — The Missouri House voted 'Do Pass' on a new bill Tuesday that could increase the tax credit available for film and series productions in the state. According to House Bill 1499, the bill would combine the tax credit available for TV projects and movies each year. Missouri began offering a tax credit for movie and TV productions in 2023, which offered $8 million for film and, separately, another $8 million for series productions. If passed, the bill would combine the two tax credit pots, attracting bigger productions to the Show-Me State. St. Louis Blues clinch spot in 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs In August 2023, Missouri introduced the Show MO Act, which ended a decade-long lapse since Missouri's previous tax credit program, which expired in 2013. According to the Missouri Division of Tourism, more than 40 projects have been approved since the launch of the tax incentives, with many more expected in the upcoming years. To qualify for the tax credit, production companies must first apply with the state and prove financial support for their project, then undergo an independent audit to verify spending. Afterward, the state will conduct an additional audit to ensure funds were accurately used and the production fulfilled its commitments after filming takes place in Missouri. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
28-02-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
State education bills on the move at halfway mark; session picks back up Monday
Education bills in the Indiana Statehouse drew scrutiny and controversy as the surviving bills head to the opposite chamber as the budget session reaches its halfway mark. After a week off, lawmakers return to Indianapolis on Monday. The session is scheduled to end April 29. Education spending, about half of the two-year $46.7 billion budget, often is contentious. A Senate bill directing traditional public schools to share property tax revenue with charter schools passed by a 28-21 vote after hours of debate Feb. 20 as the first half neared its end. The bill calls for property tax sharing if 100 or more students in a district's boundaries attend a charter school. The districts would also have to share a portion of their debt service levy. It drew expected opposition from Northwest Indiana Democrats but this time they were joined by Republicans Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, and Mike Bohacek, R-Michigan City. The bill passed 28-21. Charter schools are typically located in urban districts that lean strongly Democratic. Republicans, who control the Senate by a 40-10 margin, are often their biggest supporters. All 18 Democratic amendments to change the bill failed. 'If this body is truly about choice, then why (does) choice have to come at the expense of the choice of a million people going to traditional schools?' said Sen. Fady Qaddoura, D-Indianapolis. 'The clear losers here are the students and the parents who have chosen to send their students to traditional public schools,' said Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington. 'We hear people talk about school choice, but it robs tax dollars from the parents of 90% of our future students who choose public schools.' Locally, the bill would have the biggest impact on the Gary Community School Corp., just emerging from seven years of state control. The city is home to six charter schools. Last fall, there were 11,764 students in Gary's district boundaries and just 35%, or 4,144, attended the school district. The remainder, or nearly 7,000 students, turned to charters, neighboring districts or private schools. Officials at the Indianapolis Public Schools said as many as 20 schools could be closed with staff layoffs if the bill passes. The bill's author, Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger, said she supports the principle of property tax money following the student. 'Those tax dollars, for years, have not followed their children. Today we need to make that change.' Rogers said traditional public schools are receiving property tax dollars for students they aren't educating. Responding to critics who say charter school board members aren't elected, Rogers added a provision allowing traditional public schools to appoint a member to a charter school's board. Here's a look at other bills that passed. A-F grades: House Bill 1498 requires the Department of Education to establish a new A-F grading system to take effect next year. IREAD: House Bill 1499 allows certain students to retake the IREAD exam at least twice in the summer before retention requirements apply. Certain English language students would be exempt from compliance with the retention requirement. Chronic absenteeism: House Bill 1201 prohibits a school from expelling or suspending a student who's been chronically absent or habitually truant. It requires the Department of Education to establish best discipline practices for chronically absent students. Senate Bill 482, which also addresses chronic absenteeism, passed in the Senate. Transgender athlete ban: House Bill 1041 bans transgender women from participating in collegiate athletics. Education deregulation: House Bill 1002 eases long-held policies, removing certain teacher training and professional development requirements, expired provisions and repealed unfunded grants. It also eliminated the education credential requirement for the Indiana Secretary of Education. Partisan school board: Senate Bill 267 calls for school board candidates to declare a party affiliation. Teacher Compensation: Senate Bill 249 permits school corporations to provide a supplemental payment to teachers in excess of already negotiated salary. Bullying: House Bill 1539 expands the definition of bullying to include severe one-time acts. It gives schools one business day to notify parents of the alleged perpetrator and targeted students. The current time is five days. Chaplains: Senate Bill 523 allows a principal or superintendent of a public school, including a charter school, to approve bringing in a school chaplain if certain requirements are met.
