2017-04-21
Legislative
Update
Introduction
As
we celebrate Earth Day today, it’s important to remember always that we
are only tenants here - though we like to think we are more. And, we
must ask the question, have we been good tenants of the planet?
Last week, we passed legislation in the House which enabled
every municipality to set its own rules about single use plastic
bags. Here on Earth Day, I must ask if we went far enough. The
plastic bags into which I put groceries, or leaves, or trash will last
longer than their contents, and longer than I will last. Is that
good tenancy?
House
Calendars
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Thursday, April
20, 2017
Bill Text can be found using this
link called Directory of Bills
Directory
of Bills
Link to Bill Status
Bill
Status
Testimony Link
NEW
Testimony
Events
Calendars
Check the calendar to the left or go to
Events
This week
in the Education Committee
One of the proposals we
heard this week had to deal with removing the limit on Charter
Schools. The current limit is set at 10 Charter Schools, and we have
nine. This bill would allow that cap to be removed, permitting the
creation of additional charter schools.
When I think that
Charter Schools current spend 20 million dollars a year, and that we have
note funded regular public education at the level we promised, then I must
say I’m opposed to this notion.
More importantly, we have yet to
have a comprehensive and thorough evaluation of the charter schools in the
state. Put frankly, we do not have good reliable evidence that they
are working as we had hoped.
Why would we begin the process
of adding more charter schools when we don’t know if the experiment has
been working.
Reflections
So, we are each where we
are because of a teacher.
In first grade, some teacher helped
with our jackets and boots.
In second grade, some teacher taught us
sounds and numbers.
In third grade, some teacher taught us to read - I
can still remember Ms. Bignalli
And that continues.
Why oh why -
when these teachers have retired do we take from their retirement
and health care funds - funds we all set aside for them? Somehow
it’s just not right to promise retired teachers that their health care
would be funded at 100% and then limit that to 45%.
We
don’t take money from any other group - but it seems that teachers are
“fair game” whenever some other group needs bailing out.
As
always, feel free to write to me and let me know your
thoughts.