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Legislature convenes special session Tuesday, Apr 4, 2006 By Aaron Sadler Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - The Legislature began work Monday to address an unconstitutional school funding system, with Gov. Mike Huckabee prodding lawmakers to swiftly act on his special session agenda. The Senate Education Committee responded by endorsing a $132.5 million increase in state aid to public schools. The amount includes a cost-of-living raise for teachers. An identical bill was to be considered by the House Education Committee today, The proposal would increase the minimum statewide teacher salary by 3.3 percent this year and 3.6 percent starting in July. The minimum teacher salary would move from $27,500 to $28,408 for the current school year, then to $29,416 next school term. Inflation adjustments to minimum salaries for teachers with up to 15 years experience also are mandated by the bill. The Joint Budget Committee was scheduled to consider a bill today to appropriate the $132.5 million for salary increases, other school district expenses related to inflation and increases in employer contributions to the teacher retirement system. In a speech to a joint session of the House and Senate, Huckabee said the 85th General Assembly would be considered one of the best in history if it approves education legislation and also enacts a ban on workplace smoking. Legislators are meeting this week to respond to a December state Supreme Court decision declaring state aid for school operations and facilities inadequate. Huckabee addressed a joint session of the House and Senate on Monday afternoon, where he asked lawmakers to move past the sting of losing a court battle over school funding. He also asked legislators to dispatch with the 35 items on his special session call this week, while passionately pleading for support for a smoking ban. "If we're able to pass this kind of historic, significant legislation in a relatively brief period of time, in a middle of a special session during an election year, I think even the cynic will have to say the 85th General Assembly just well may be the very finest group of men and women ever assembled to do the people's business ..." Huckabee said during his 22-minute speech. The governor said the Legislature has the opportunity to end a lengthy court fight that began in 1992, when the tiny Lake View School District in eastern Arkansas sued the state. The Supreme Court's latest Lake View ruling said lawmakers in the 2005 regular session failed to determine the amount of adequate education funding necessary for the 2005-06 school year. Justices criticized the Legislature for freezing state funding at $5,400 per student and for not dedicating enough money to a 10-year, $2 billion facilities program. The House and Senate education committees recommended the extra $132.5 million in new funding over two fiscal years, in addition to another $50 million for facilities aid, if necessary, this year. "I'm very optimistic that this week we're going to be able to do something that has not been able to get completed over three administrations of governor and many sessions of the Legislature, and that's finally bring to conclusion the case of Lake View," Huckabee said. "It's long overdue. This week I believe we will, for once and all, put that behind us." Huckabee refused to call the Legislature into special session until they reached consensus on an education reform plan. Senate leaders brokered an 11th-hour deal last week, days after a majority of the House endorsed the education committee recommendations. The committees' plan to raise teacher salaries was opposed by the Arkansas School Boards Association and the state Association of Educational Administrators. Representatives of both groups said increasing the minimum salary schedule would result in a revenue loss for more than 60 of the state's 251 school districts. Monticello Superintendent Norman Hill said that figure could be close to 100 districts that, even with an increase in state funding, would have a net revenue loss. Administrators' association director Tom Kimbrell said 63 districts of varying sizes would lose money, including Monticello. Hill's district has about 2,150 students. Hill said his district would have a net loss of $230,000 over two years based on the amount of salary and benefits his district pays to teachers. Sen. David Bisbee, R-Rogers, suggested that the problem may have more to do with management inefficiencies. Some districts may have too many teachers, he said. Committee Chairman Jim Argue, D-Little Rock, said after the meeting that the issue illustrates the problem between funding schools abundantly or funding them efficiently. "That's the crux of the big debate, how do we on one hand provide adequate funding, then on the other hand ensure you're getting adequate benefit for that funding," Argue said. The House committee will reconsider the minimum-salary bill today after adding a pair of amendments. One amendment would remove language in the bill that states that lawmakers provided equitable and adequate funding during the special session. The Senate committee also removed the language, agreeing it would be better to measure the session's worth when it concludes. About half the items on Huckabee's special session call are related to education. Other major issues lawmakers will address include the smoking ban and a $1.10-per-hour hike to the state minimum wage. The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee endorsed the minimum wage proposal Monday. Huckabee said a ban on smoking in workplaces, including restaurants, would dramatically improve health and save state money on Medicaid costs and lost productivity. Second-hand smoke has been cited by the U.S. surgeon general as a significant health risk, he said. "It's not something that is merely annoying to the non-smoker, it is truly harmful," Huckabee added. The governor also touted his proposals to allow the state teacher of the year to tour the state and act as a liaison to the state Board of Education and to cap school district administration expenses at 8 percent of a district's budget. Also, he lauded a bill by Rep. Shirley Walters, R-Greenwood, to prevent school districts from using state funding to pay for lawsuits. |
