This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Lawmakers likely will spend the last day of the session today tangled in a brawl over funding for education programs.
The Senate passed two major education bills late Tuesday, neither of which will likely earn a warm welcome when the House debates them this morning. That's because both bills propose either somewhat controversial concepts the House has not yet considered or ideas the House has already shot down.
One bill, SB281, would put, for one year, an additional $25 million toward $1,000 signing bonuses for new teachers, performance pay for teachers determined by districts and incentives for those seeking American Board Distinguished Teacher certification. Today will be the first time the full House considers the bill, which prominent education groups oppose, saying they'd rather see the money simply added to per-pupil spending.
The other bill, SB2, is actually 12 education bills rolled into one and includes $1,700 raises for educators and a 2.5 percent increase in per-pupil spending. The problem is that the House already shot down two of the 12 bills, including one that would fund an at-home software pilot program for preschoolers and another that would ask school districts to help fund charter schools.
House Majority Leader David Clark said some representatives are unhappy about those two bills being resurrected and tied in with other bills they like. It's likely representatives will try to change the bills.
"Stay tuned," Clark said.
He added, however, that the House will likely pass the bill in some form in the end because so much is riding on it - namely $2.5 billion in overall education funding.
Though the Senate passed SB2 by 21-7 Tuesday, several senators worried about setting an unfair precedent by passing 12 education programs in one bill. Normally, the House and Senate consider each bill individually.
"There are very good bills that have been tethered to bad bills, or bills we shouldn't be supporting at this time," said Sen. Ross Romero, D-Salt Lake City. "There are . . . bills on this list we haven't even discussed in this body, in the Senate. I don't think this is the best way to be conducting the people's business."
Meanwhile, the bill's supporters said combining the 12 programs will allow lawmakers to pass more education bills than they might otherwise have been able to before their midnight deadline.
"I have to admit there are probably a couple of bills here I wouldn't have voted yes on, but taken as a whole I'd accept the package," said bill sponsor Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper.
"It's a good bill, and if we pass it we can go home proud that we looked out for the children of our state, we looked out for families in our state and the professional educators in our state," Stephenson said just before Tuesday's vote.
SB2 is a far-reaching bill, but some of the programs it funds include:
* $15.8 million to hire more art teachers.
* $2.9 million to extend the school year for special educators as a way to increase pay.
* $6.5 million to extend the year for some math and science teachers as a way to increase pay and provide more instruction.
* $3.5 million for a pilot software program to educate preschoolers in their homes.
* $500,000 to better train teachers to work with gifted children.
* $100,000 to help schools pay for International Baccalaureate programs.