Latest news with #HouseBill2007
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bills to help Oregon schools fund years of summer learning await governor's signature
Students are taught how to sound out letters during a phonics lesson at Ferguson Elementary School in Klamath Falls on April 7, 2023. (Alex Baumhardt/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Oregon schools will soon have something they've never had before: more than a year to plan for summer school with the promise of consistent funding from the state Legislature. But it comes with one condition: The money should be spent on programs that get students reading and writing at grade level. On Thursday the Senate passed two bills nearly unanimously — House Bill 5047, which appropriates $35 million for summer learning grants for 2025, $35 million for 2026, and $12 million for June of 2027 — and House Bill 2007, establishing which programs qualify for the summer grants. Both bills passed the Oregon House unanimously on April 9 and now await Gov. Tina Kotek's signature. Kotek indicated at a news conference Tuesday she would sign the bills and said the unanimous votes to pass both in the House earlier in the month were highlights of the session for her so far. 'I'm very appreciative of legislative leaders for showing their commitment to that issue. I think it's really important for our students to have access to summer learning programs,' she said. The $35 million available to schools this summer is welcome, but untimely, for many school administrators. Most smaller school districts are wrapping up planning for summer programs by April, and most larger districts start planning as early as October. Last year, schools didn't learn until March whether they'd receive a portion of $30 million in summer grants. For some, the money came too late to expand their offerings. But knowing schools have the money next year, and in years ahead, is a game changer, bill advocates said. House Bill 5047 also makes clear that the funding is intended to be ongoing at $70 million per biennium, from a fund housed in the Treasury rather than from the state's general fund, to help support three months of summer learning programs every year in perpetuity. 'We're thrilled the days of last minute investment and planning for summer learning are finally over,' said Anna Higgins, policy director for the education nonprofit Foundations for a Better Oregon. House Bill 2007 underwent a number of amendments over the last few months after school leaders and education advocacy groups expressed concern that granting money only for literacy-specific, at-school programs was too narrow. It's since been expanded, to allow schools to fund summer programs that aid in credit recovery, use 'evidence-based' curriculum to teach language arts as well as math and science, and to allow schools to partner with community-based organizations and colleges to offer programs. It was also changed to make room for summer literacy programs that include 'enrichment activities' outside of the classroom, as long as they improve student academic outcomes. The Oregon Department of Education, which will distribute the grants, is required to prioritize schools with the lowest rates of reading proficiency when awarding funds. In the future, the bill allows the agency to recommend other academic areas to target supper learning grants as needed. School administrators and education groups, such as Foundations for a Better Oregon, who advocated in public hearings that the bill be expanded to include more community organizations, activities, and academic focus areas, said they were pleased with the amended bill. 'While there's more work to do to eliminate barriers and actually incentivize school-community partnerships, which are critical to reaching academic goals for historically underserved students, this bill marks an important milestone for expanding access to out-of-school learning for Oregon's kids,' Higgins said. For the last few years, school administrators have asked the Legislature repeatedly to dedicate funding for summer school, and to do so with consistency so they can plan ahead. Instead, the Legislature has repeatedly punted the decision to the end of sessions, leaving schools with notice that they can apply for some additional state funding weeks before programs are due to begin. In the aftermath of COVID and school closures, the need for summer learning programs to help students catch up gained urgency in the Legislature. Former Sens. Peter Courtney and Michael Dembrow, Democrats from Salem and Portland, respectively, even proposed investing in robust summer learning programs could be a runway for eventually introducing year-round school. In 2021, schools received more than $200 million, and in 2022 they were allocated $150 million. But in 2023, the Legislature did not send schools any additional summer school money, and instead hoped they would spend the last of their federal COVID-relief dollars. Schools cut programs and some nonprofits stopped offering summer programs altogether. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
CON repeal, a Morrisey priority, fails again as WV House strongly rejects discharging bill to floor
Dels. Matthew Rohrbach, Brandon Steele and J.B. Akers discuss House Rules at the speaker's podium on Friday, March 28, 2025, as confusion dominated the debate to discharge House Bill 2007 from committee to the floor. (Perry Bennett | West Virginia Legislative Photography) Another nail was hammered into the coffin of Certificate of Need repeal on Friday, as the West Virginia House of Delegates overwhelmingly voted down — after a drawn out 'fiasco' over rules and procedure — a motion to discharge House Bill 2007. With 10 members absent and not voting, lawmakers in the body voted 72-15 against discharging the bill. The discharge motion, if successful, would have brought the original version of HB 2007 — a bill to totally repeal the Certificate of Need process in the state — to the House floor, where the full body would have considered it for the first time. The bill died last month in the House Committee on Health and Human Resources when lawmakers voted 13-12 against it. Del. Chris Anders, R-Berkeley, made the motion to discharge the bill from committee and to the floor, saying members should support his motion because HB 2007 'will end the government created monopoly on health care.' In response to Anders, Del. Carl Martin, R-Upshur, immediately made a motion to table his discharge motion. But Martin's motion, said Del. Matthew Rohrbach, R-Cabell, who was acting as speaker, was out of order and not allowed based on rules of the chamber. This is despite a motion to table a discharge motion previously being successful earlier this session. That previous motion and vote, Rohrbach said, should have been out of order as well. Del. Brandon Steele, R-Raleigh, called for a motion to overturn Rohrbach's ruling, which was supported by House counsel as well as the House parliamentarian and House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, who was not present Friday. 'What are we even doing here?!' Steele exclaimed, before his motion failed 58-31. With that failed vote, and after several back-and-forths regarding the technicalities of the House Rules as well as Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure — the rulebook that dictates House actions this year alongside the chamber's own rules — Rohrbach's ruling that Martin's motion to table the discharge motion was out of order stood as the rule of the chamber. The body then voted down Anders' original discharge motion, laying HB 2007 to rest yet again. Repealing Certificate of Need in West Virginia was one of only two health care policies that Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced as priorities for his first legislative session this year. The other policy — adding religious and philosophical exemptions to the state's vaccine mandates — failed on the House floor earlier this week. During his State of the State, Morrisey called the Certificate of Need process 'big government activism at its worst' and promised that by repealing it, the state would 'move toward the free market.' Bills to repeal CON have been introduced in the Legislature annually since at least 2017. This year marked the second time ever that the bill made it to a committee, as well as the second time it was voted down by that committee. CON is a regulatory process, overseen by the West Virginia Health Care Authority, that requires entities looking to create or expand health care services in the state to receive a legal document proving those new services fit an unmet need in the area. Through the Health Care Authority, those interested in obtaining a Certificate of Need receive technical assistance before applying to see what need they are meeting. Services are approved through a needs methodology and different services — such as hospice care, ambulatory centers, clinics, private practices and specialty services — have different methodologies. Proponents for the repeal believe that doing away with the laws will allow more competition in health care across West Virginia. Those against repeal worry that doing away with the process will hurt West Virginia's more rural and vulnerable populations, where a lack of regulation could threaten what services are offered to the 75% of residents who are government payers, meaning their health insurance comes from Medicare, Medicaid or the Public Employees Insurance Agency. While the House's version of the bill to repeal Certificate of Need seems relatively dead — all bills must be at least on first reading on the floor in their chambers of origin by Sunday — another bill has been introduced in the Senate that would do the same. Lawmakers there, however, have yet to touch it and seem unlikely to do so. In past years, there have been Hail Mary attempts to amend a total repeal of certificate of need into other bills that deal with the same section of code. It's possible the same could happen this year, as several bills that touch on Certificate of Need are still circulating as crossover day approaches next week. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Proposal to send schools $35 million for summer programs comes with literacy strings attached
A third-grader at Brooklyn Primary School in a reading lesson led by Eastern Oregon University Professor Ronda Fritz. (Alex Baumhardt/Oregon Capital Chronicle) With just a few months to go before programs would begin, Oregon's Legislature is once again scrambling to pass funding for summer school. A proposal to allocate $35 million in summer learning grants hit some turbulence at its first public hearing Thursday at a meeting of the House Committee on Education due to some last-minute changes and new strings attached. House Bill 2007 would allow schools to apply for summer learning grants if they're used to pay for programs that boost literacy skills and academic outcomes. Narrowing the focus of those grants drew the concern of some education and youth advocacy groups, including the nonprofit Adelante Mujeres, which has used summer grant money in the past to fund programs that foster leadership skills and community involvement among Latina girls and women in Washington County. 'By focusing solely on literacy, the bill undermines the vital work of community-based organizations that provide culturally relevant, wraparound support for students and their families,' wrote Angie Jimenez, family engagement manager for the group, in her testimony. Anna Higgins, a policy director at the nonprofit Foundations for a Better Oregon, expressed similar concerns that the narrow focus of the bill would be counterproductive to summer learning goals, which she said are also about making students feel like they belong at school and boosting attendance and participation. This often means enrichment opportunities and extracurriculars that aren't confined to the classroom. She said House Bill 2007 ignores the recommendations of a legislative work group she served on last year. 'We have a road map now that details a long-term, sustainable vision for summer and after school in Oregon, and this bill, as it currently is, does not yet follow that road map,' she said. 'We are particularly concerned about its ability to advance equitable outcomes for kids, especially those who experience the least support in a traditional school setting.' Bill sponsors state Rep. Ricki Ruiz, D-Gresham, and state Sen. Janeen Sollman, D-Hillsboro, defended the literacy-specific focus of the bill, and said they would introduce an amendment expanding who can apply for grants and more clarity about for what purposes money can be used before a committee vote scheduled for Monday. Sollman said other money, including millions from the High School Success Fund, is available for other priorities like credit recovery. 'This isn't the only, singular summer learning program,' she said. 'We have these different patchworks that can provide this.' In the aftermath of COVID and school closures, the need for summer learning programs to help students catch up gained urgency in the Legislature. Former Sens. Peter Courtney and Michael Dembrow, Democrats from Salem and Portland, respectively, even proposed investing in robust summer learning programs could be a runway for eventually introducing year-round school. In 2021, schools received more than $200 million, and in 2022 they were allocated $150 million. But in 2023, the Legislature did not send schools any additional summer school money, and instead hoped they would spend the last of their federal COVID-relief dollars. Schools cut programs and some nonprofits stopped offering summer programs altogether. Last year, schools didn't learn until April whether they'd receive a portion of $30 million in summer grants. For some, the money came too late to expand their offerings. Most smaller school districts need to finish their summer program planning by April, and most larger districts start planning as early as October. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kansas Senate budget ties $4 million to ending DEI, use of preferred pronouns in emails
Rep. Barbara Ballard, D-Lawrence, pressed for clarification of a Senate amendment to the House's budget bill freezing $4 million for the administration of Gov. Laura Kelly until she certified no executive branch agency retained diversity, equity and inclusion programs or staff and until the governor affirmed executive branch workers were no longer attaching preferred pronouns to emails. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Legislature's YouTube channel) TOPEKA — The Kansas Senate's budget committee wants to hold $4 million hostage from the administration of Gov. Laura Kelly until state agencies proved they eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion jobs and programs as well as ended use of gender-affirming pronouns in signature blocks of employee emails. The Senate Ways and Means Committee has been working since February on amendments to the budget plan developed by the House Appropriations Committee and approved by the full House on a vote of 83-36. In the process, senators responsible for the budget agreed to leverage $4 million in state funding to speed demise of DEI programs and staff within state government. A hold on the money would be lifted when the Kelly administration certified DEI had been terminated and when employees in the executive branch and universities in the Kansas Board of Regents system stopped listing preferred gender pronouns in email correspondence. Rep. Barbara Ballard, D-Lawrence, said she was puzzled by the Senate budget committee's approach to DEI. 'They're eliminating all the positions? They're eliminating all the programs?' said Ballard, who is Black and serves on the House budget committee. 'Are they getting fired? Eliminate says it's not there.' Rep. Kristey Williams, an Augusta Republican and colleague of Ballard's on the House budget committee, said the Senate intended to make certain state government agencies weren't playing games with the Legislature's directive to erase DEI. 'If they have DEI positions and they've just renamed those DEI positions, they really need to substantiate or verify that they're not just changing titles,' Williams said. Dylan Dear, a fiscal analyst with the Kansas Legislative Research Department, said the blueprint crafted by the Senate committee also would direct full-time executive branch employees under direction of the Democratic governor to 'perform their duties in their assigned state office, facility or field location' except during periods of authorized travel. The Senate committee didn't want the no-work-at-home requirement to apply to staff of the legislative and judicial branches of state government nor to Republican-led offices of attorney general, insurance commissioner, secretary of state and state treasurer. The Senate budget panel deleted from House Bill 2007 a provision that would rename the Docking State Office Building in Topeka in honor of the late U.S. Sen. Robert Dole, R-Kansas. The building across the street from Capitol was originally named for the late Democratic Gov. Robert Docking. The structure was partially demolished and the rebuilding project has been mostly completed. Dole has a U.S federal courthouse in Kansas City, Kansas, named for him as well as structures at University of Kansas, Washburn University and Kansas State University. Senators added to the House bill a supplemental appropriation of $21 million to be shared by Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University and Pittsburg State University. The Senate's version of the budget would allocate $750,000 to a feasibility study of creating a dental school with FHSU. The Senate amendments to the House budget would allow $23 million in bonding for KSU building projects for animal, agronomy and grain science research. KU would be authorized to issue $100 million in bonds for development of the 11th and Mississippi streets project next to the Jayhawks' football stadium. And, Wichita State University would have access to $60 million in bonds for a campus stadium project. In addition, the Kansas Highway Patrol would be allowed to devote $55 million to relocation of the Troop C headquarters in Salina. KHP would be able to enter into a contract on a build-to-lease hangar in Wichita rather than follow the House's idea of spending $7 million for a hangar. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation would be given permission to issue $100 million in bonds for construction of a new KBI headquarters in Topeka. Amendments to the House bill included addition of $4 million to support the Kansas Pregnancy Compassion Awareness Program, which would provide women facing unplanned pregnancies incentive to avoid an abortion. The Senate committee deleted $830,000 for renovation of a homeless shelter in Liberal, but added $2.5 million for a child care pilot program with Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Morrisey hopeful for CON repeal in WV, denies claims that he tried to ‘force' votes in committee
Del. Scot Heckert, R-Wood, asks questions during public testimony on House Bill 2007 on Feb. 20. The bill, as it was proposed, would have eliminated certificate of need laws in West Virginia. (Perry Bennett | West Virginia Legislative Photography) Despite a defeat in the House Committee on Health and Human Resources this week, Gov. Patrick Morrisey remains hopeful that some sort of repeal for Certificate of Need will be adopted by lawmakers this legislative session. In a news briefing Friday, Morrisey said that he expects to see 'a lot more activity' on the policy in coming days. While the end product may not be 'perfect' or exactly what the governor wants, Morrisey said there are still 'really good policies' that are being looked at. A bill in the Senate that would repeal CON is still moving through the Legislature and could be brought up for consideration by the Senate Health Committee at any time. 'People declare things dead very early when things are not dead,' Morrisey said in response to a question from Ogden Newspapers' Steven Allen Adams. '… It's the nature of the process, right? That you have things that maybe you ask for and you get 90% of it. Let's not confuse perfect with really good. And so we're looking at really good policies. It may not be everything that is perfect, but we're going to make meaningful progress.' CON is a regulatory process, overseen by the West Virginia Health Care Authority, that requires entities looking to create or expand health care services in the state to receive a legal document proving those new services fit an unmet need in the area. Through the Health Care Authority, those interested in obtaining a Certificate of Need receive technical assistance before applying to see what need they are meeting. Services are approved through a needs methodology and different services — such as hospice care, ambulatory centers, clinics, private practices and specialty services — have different methodologies. During his State of the State address, Morrisey called the process 'big government activism at its worst' and promised that by repealing it, the state would 'move toward the free market.' It's unclear, however, how much support exists among lawmakers on the policy push for CON repeal. Morrisey said Friday that he believes 'a majority' of Republicans — who hold supermajorities in both the House and the Senate — support policies that he says will lower health care costs and improve free market competition for health services in the state. 'We're in a position to make good changes that put our citizens first and make sure that competition occurs and that we have lower prices and we don't have what we have now: higher prices and the worst health care outcomes,' Morrisey said. 'We should all be focusing on those terrible healthcare outcomes to make progress, because it sickens me to be 50 and we are going to move.' There is no West Virginia-specific data showing that repealing CON in the state — where the population is declining and where 75% of people are government payers, meaning they are insured through Medicare, Medicaid or the Public Employees Insurance Agency — would accomplish such goals. And the total elimination of CON has, historically, been a hard sell to West Virginia legislators. The bill has been introduced annually in the House since 2017. The 2022 regular session was the first time it made it to a committee agenda. That year, after a grueling five hour debate and discussion, lawmakers on the House Health Committee voted it down 12-10. Monday was the second time in nine years that the bill made it to committee and the second time it was voted down, as the current members of the House Health Committee voted 13-12 against House Bill 2007. Later in that meeting, the body doubled down on that vote by voting against a motion to reconsider the initial vote on the bill. Procedurally, that refusal means that specific bill will not be able to be brought up again in that committee. 'Obviously, the house has one set of issues. And we respect that people have different opinions, but I do believe that we need competition, and we're going to be advancing it through different means,' Morrisey said. He did not specify what 'different means' entailed, though later in his comments Morrisey said that there were 'tools available' to the executive branch that could be used to help drive health care competition in the state. There were murmurs after the defeat in committee that House Republican leadership was going to attempt to discharge the bill, bringing it straight to a floor vote and sidestepping the committee process. A motion to do such, however, has yet to happen. And other rumors circulated in the rotunda this week, as well, regarding how Morrisey and members of his staff were handling the cacophony of 'no' votes in House Health against his efforts to repeal CON. Del. Scot Heckert, R-Wood, said on the Charleston Gazette-Mail's Outside the Echo Chamber podcast on Wednesday that Morrisey and those working for him were trying to 'force' votes in favor of CON repeal this week. Heckert, a member of the House Health Committee, voted against HB 2007 and has been a vocal critic of repeal efforts. '[Completely repealing CON] is one of the governor's priority bills, but the governor is trying to, for lack of better words, force people to vote his way just because it's his way and sending people around, pulling people out of committees to talk to them, to try to get them to switch their vote — we've gotten off to a bad start,' Heckert said. 'Now hopefully we've learned from this lesson. Hopefully something can be done, but who knows. When you start telling people what to do 'or else' – especially West Virginia people – that doesn't go very well.' Heckert's allegations were echoed by other lawmakers who also sit on House Health after Monday's meeting. Morrisey on Friday denied those claims, saying he was not going to 'get distracted' by people who don't support policies he believes will improve the state. He called such people 'outliers' who 'don't speak for their districts' or who are 'opposed to President Trump.' 'They're not part of the team. I get that, so I'm not going to worry about that,' Morrisey said. 'We're going to advance an agenda, and we're going to do it working with the vast majority of the Legislature that supports good changes.'
