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	<title>Arizona Education Network &#187; Pending Legislation</title>
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		<title>What to Expect: Gov. Brewer&#8217;s &#8220;State of the State,&#8221; January 2010 **Updated**</title>
		<link>http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/2010/01/what-to-expect-gov-brewers-state-of-the-state-january-2010/</link>
		<comments>http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/2010/01/what-to-expect-gov-brewers-state-of-the-state-january-2010/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:45:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>aenadmin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Pending Legislation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recent Legislative Action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recent Media Updates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recent News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arizona education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona Legislature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governor Brewer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jan Brewer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[k-12 education funding]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/?p=2591</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Monday, January 11, 2010 Governor Brewer will deliver her much anticipated "State of the State" address, in which she will promise to "right our ship" and "bring Arizona back home."  Governor Brewer's address signals the return of Arizona lawmakers to the Capitol where they will begin work to address the state's budget crisis.
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>**UPDATE** Text of Governor Brewer&#8217;s &#8220;State of the State&#8221; address can be found <a href="http://azgovernor.gov/documents/sos/2010/SOTS_011110_SOTS2010.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
</strong><span style="color: #ffffff;">.<br />
</span>At approximately 1:20 PM Monday, January 11, Governor Brewer will deliver her much anticipated &#8220;State of the State&#8221; address, in which she will promise to <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/viewpoints/articles/2010/01/09/20100109brewer10.html" target="_blank">&#8220;right our ship&#8221; and &#8220;bring Arizona back home.&#8221;</a> Governor Brewer&#8217;s address signals the return of Arizona lawmakers to the Capitol where they will begin work to address the state&#8217;s budget crisis.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.<br />
</span>Today&#8217;s articles in both the <a href="http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/fromcomments/324638.php" target="_blank">Arizona Daily Star </a>and the <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2010/01/10/20100110budgetcuts0110.html" target="_blank">Arizona Republic </a>highlight the crisis &#8212; that which is seen, as well as that which is unseen. Rest stops have been closed. State parks could be shut down by July of 2010. Our state&#8217;s disabled and poor have lost needed services. And &#8220;78 percent of the K-12 dollars that aren&#8217;t protected by voter mandates or federal requirements&#8221; have been cut.<br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span><span style="color: #ffffff;">.<br />
</span>With a current budget-year deficit of nearly $1.4 billion, the second session of the 49th Legislature promises more cuts with very little mentioned in projected plans for revenue.  State employees could see a 5% pay cut, as well as layoffs in various department/agencies. As reported in the Arizona Republic, a bill to end all-day kindergarten is expected to be introduced this week, and will be one of the cuts to Education. Representative Lucy Mason (LD-1 Prescott) who once supported the all-day approach to educating our state&#8217;s kindergartners, is now supporting ending the program because &#8220;[W]e can&#8217;t afford it&#8230;.It&#8217;s not that our hearts aren&#8217;t in the right place.&#8221;  In addition, voter protected funds, as well as Health and Human Services, are also seen as vulnerable.<br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span> <span style="color: #ffffff;"><br />
</span>Be sure to tune in to your local news Monday evening for coverage of Governor Brewer&#8217;s &#8220;State of the State&#8221; address. Additionally, many media outlets will be covering the address live, as well as in <em>review</em>. <a href="http://www.azpbs.org/horizon/index.php" target="_blank">Channel Eight Arizona PBS (Phoenix) will air a special one-hour HORIZON at 7 PM featuring Governor Brewer&#8217;s address followed by commentary</a>.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>.</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>Where to find live coverage:</strong></p>
<p>Television:<br />
<a href="http://tv.azpm.org/kuat/" target="_blank">KUAT Channel 6</a> &#8211; Tucson at 1 PM</p>
<p>Live stream on the radio &amp; Internet:<br />
<a href="http://radio.azpm.org/kuaz/" target="_blank">KUAZ 89.1 FM &#8211; Tucson<br />
KUAZ 91.7 FM &#8211; Sierra Vista<br />
KUAS 1550 AM &#8211; Tucson</a></p>
<p><a href="http://kjzz.org/" target="_blank">KJZZ 91.5 FM &#8211; Phoenix </a></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong>Related news:</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/viewpoints/articles/2010/01/09/20100109brewer10.html" target="_blank">I plan to right our ship and restore common sense </a>~ Governor Jan Brewer, Arizona Republic &#8220;View Points&#8221;, 1/10/10<br />
<a href="http://kjzz.org/news/arizona/archives/201001/SOSPreview" target="_blank">Gov. Brewer to Talk Taxes, Economy </a>~ KJZZ 91.5 FM, Mark Brodie, 1/10/10<br />
<a href="http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/fromcomments/324638.php" target="_blank">AZ running out of accounting gimmicks </a>~ Arizona Daily Star, (Bodfield, AZ Star; Fischer, Capitol Media), 1/10/10<br />
<a href="http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2010/01/10/20100110budgetcuts0110.html" target="_blank">The unseen pain of cuts to state budget </a>~ Arizona Republic, Mary Jo Pitzl, 1/10/10<br />
<a href="http://campverdebugleonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&amp;SubSectionID=73&amp;ArticleID=25320" target="_blank">CVBugle &#8211; Editorial: State of the State: Tough times for Brewer</a> ~ Campe Verde Bugle, 1/9/10<br />
<a href="http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&amp;SubSectionID=1&amp;ArticleID=76558" target="_blank">CRUNCH TIME: Lawmakers face grueling decisions Monday </a>~ The Daily Courier [Prescott], Joanna Dodder Nellans, 1/9/10</p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
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		<title>Legislative Update: Where are we going, and why are we in this handbasket? Updated 1/4/10</title>
		<link>http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/2009/12/legislative-update-where-are-we-going-and-why-are-we-in-this-handbasket-12109/</link>
		<comments>http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/2009/12/legislative-update-where-are-we-going-and-why-are-we-in-this-handbasket-12109/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:13:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>aenadmin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Pending Legislation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recent Legislative Action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recent Media Updates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recent News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andy Tobin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona borrowing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arizona education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona education budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona education standards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona Legislature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona lottery borrowing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona schools]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arizona senate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona tuition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AZ budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Frank Antenori]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governor Brewer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governor Jan Brewer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jan Brewer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Kavanagh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Judy Burges]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[k-12 education funding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Representative Burges]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rich Crandall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert Burns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Russell Pearce]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/?p=2386</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A recap of recent legislation as it pertains to education.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This update covers a quick overview of Arizona’s financial situation, the recently enacted budget cuts and a glimpse of what is lurking in the legislature.<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.<a href="http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/AZ-Capital-with-Flags-front.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1643" title="AZ Capital with Flags front" src="http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/AZ-Capital-with-Flags-front-300x225.jpg" alt="AZ Capital with Flags front" width="300" height="225" /></a></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;"><br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>State Financial Update – Where we Stand Today</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>From the latest Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) reports:</p>
<ul>
<li>Projected Arizona state budget deficit for FY2010 = <strong>$2 Billion<span style="color: #00ffff;">*</span></strong> +</li>
<li>Projected deficit for 2011 = <strong>$3.3 Billion</strong></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Arizona’s Operating Fund (the fund from which we pay our state bills) is <strong>negative for the first time since the 1930’s</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Arizona borrowed $700 million from Bank of America</strong> in November.  This loan was necessary to cover the Dec 1<sup>st </sup>funding for K-12 schools and to maintain cash reserves for ongoing expenses.  Treasurer Dean Martin estimates that interest payments for this loan will equal about <strong>$3.1 million</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The JLBC and three other economic forecasting groups hope for 6-7% growth in 2011, <em>but even with this projected growth <strong>our state sales tax and individual income tax collections would not reach FY06 levels until at least FY2013</strong></em><strong>.</strong> Corporate tax collections in FY13 are still projected to be lower than FY05 numbers.</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="color: #00ffff;"><strong>*</strong></span>This estimate was released prior to the latest $400 million in additional budget cuts this month.  We expect the projected deficit number to be lowered somewhat in next week’s JLBC report, though probably not in a dollar-for-dollar due to increased interest payments, further declines in revenue, etc.<br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.azleg.gov/jlbc/newpage.htm" target="_blank">Budget Cuts</a> for December 2009</p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span><strong><span style="color: #000080;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Budget November 2009 &#8211; $144 Million from K-12 Education</span></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p>The legislature held a special session last week to enact a series of cuts that closely resemble the reductions that <strong>Governor Brewer</strong> vetoed earlier this year.  Brewer acknowledged that the cuts to education were pretty much equivalent to the cuts that she called <em>“unacceptable”</em> a few months ago, but now says that “<em>We have no other alternative other than to go in and make some adjustments, some cuts, and to continue working forward in an effort to see how we are going to solve a possibly $4 billion deficit.”<br />
</em><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p>The latest “adjustment” to K-12 education translated into a<strong> $144 million dollar cut to this current fiscal year’s soft capital funds </strong>(books, classroom materials, buses, other student supplies, etc.)  The legislation exempted school districts with fewer than 600 students, so charter schools were not impacted by the recent reductions.<br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #800000;">I thought that the legislature was originally trying to cut $175 million in soft capital?  Why did they choose to cut $144 million instead?</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p>Ah –ha!  Great question!<br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p>In order to receive federal stimulus money, all US states had to agree not to cut education spending below their 2006 state expenditure of education, otherwise known as the Maintenance-of-Effort (MOE) requirement.  This latest cut of $144 million sets us back to the 2006 number for this fiscal year.<br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p>If our legislature decides to cut anything else from the overall education budget this year, Arizona would be in danger of losing the $1 billion + in State Fiscal Stabilization Fund money that we are scheduled to receive between 2009-2011.<br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p>Governor Brewer is reportedly going to ask for an exemption to the federal guidelines so our legislature can continue to cut below 2006 funding levels.  More on that in the ‘What’s Next’ section below.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #800000;">Was there any attempt at all to address our declining state revenue, tax loopholes or any other fiscal measures?</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p>No.  Despite some speculation that Governor Brewer’s proposed 1-cent sales tax increase might gain some airtime in the legislature, there has been little public discussion of the measure and no serious move within the legislature to review any revenue measure, including any of the alternative plans already put forward by the minority party and outside groups.<br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #800000;">How will this impact our schools?</span></strong><span style="color: #800000;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #800000;"> </span>While the $144 million reduction represents yet another financial blow directly to the classrooms, school districts had been told right from the beginning of the year that this cut was highly probable.  All of the school officials we have spoken to had made ‘worst case scenario’ contingency plans for soft capital cuts this year and had not allocated all of the initial budget funds they had been assigned at the beginning of the year.<br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p>That said, this additional round of reduced payments will certainly impact our classrooms.   As more dollars are allocated to the most basic mandated services, many schools are already reporting that they expect to run out of their already-rationed classroom material (paper, etc.) before the end of the year.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><span style="color: #000080;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">What’s Next?</span></span></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>Legislators are already discussing a second special session for December, and we anticipate that leadership will meet again before the holidays.<br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p>Now that the education budget is cut down to the 2006 Maintenance of Effort threshold and state agencies are shutting down offices and facilities, do you think that revenue discussions might be on the table?  It’s doubtful.<br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong>Senator John Nelson </strong>recently remarked pointedly that too many of his fellow legislators are still devotedly beholden to <strong>Washington DC Lobbyist Grover Norquist</strong> and the <a href="../2009/08/public-education-the-az-constitution-the-no-tax-pledge/">anti-tax pledge</a> they signed earlier in the year.  When asked by the Capitol Times if there was any hope for a serious examination of our revenue situation, Sen. Nelson, who did not sign the pledge himself, told the Az Capitol Times that <strong><em>“Grover (Norquist,) is not going to allow that to happen.  Everyone who signed that no-tax pledge is going to be told (to vote) no.”<br />
</em></strong><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p>So…while you reflect on the fact that a special interest lobbyist and non-Arizona resident is instructing <span style="text-decoration: underline;">our</span> elected officials how to vote, here’s the skinny on the latest legislative leadership proposals for bridging our budget deficit:<br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #800000;">Plan One:  Let the Lottery Ticket Buyers of 2020 Bail Us Out.</span><br />
</strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.<br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong> </strong>The latest proposal is seeking to borrow off of future lottery earnings&#8230;though we can’t call it that, because the Arizona Constitution strictly prohibits long-term borrowing.  To get around these silly semantic details, “borrowing” in this case will be known as  “securitization”.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.<br />
</span></p>
<p>Though the plan is somewhat convoluted, legislators would like to avoid the constitutional restrictions by pledging future funds off a single source – in this case it would be the Arizona Lottery – and therefore ‘secure’ the future funds for this year’s budget rather than ‘borrow’ them.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.<br />
</span></p>
<p>State lottery director Jeff Hatch-Miller reports that the lottery contributed <strong>$43.2 million </strong>to the state treasury last year.  Legislators are looking to “secure” anywhere from <strong>20-30 years worth of future lottery revenue</strong>; though this plan is further hampered by the fact that Arizona voters only authorized the state lottery through <strong>2012</strong>.  We’re not convinced that circumventing the Constitution <em>or</em> borrowing today from a program that doesn’t legally exist 3 years from now is a viable plan.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.<br />
</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #800000;">Plan Two:  State Fundraiser</span></strong><span style="color: #800000;">!</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p>Legislator Judy Burges has gathered 33 majority party legislators to sponsor a voluntary donation option on the upcoming Arizona State Tax return forms.  The hope is that each Arizona household would forgo some of their tax return money to help bridge the state budget deficit.<br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p>Is this a viable idea?  Capitol News Service reports that Arizonans donated $7.6 million to various causes (Clean Elections, veteran’s health, etc.) via their tax returns this last fiscal year.  That said, even if the legislature collects a similar sum under this scheme, it would only amount to roughly <strong>.25% of our $3 billion dollar projected deficit</strong>.  In other words…it’s a bit like running a lemonade stand this weekend in the hopes of covering your yearly mortgage.<br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #800000;">Plan Three:  Cuts, Cuts, Cuts!</span><br />
</strong><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>Prime target this time?  You guessed it – Education!<br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p>House Majority Whip <strong>Andy Tobin</strong> and Senator <strong>Russell Pearce</strong>, head of the Appropriations Committee, have already stated that the federal stimulus education maintenance-of-effort (MOE) waiver should itself be waived.  Senator Pearce has stated that he <em>“wants all those political handcuffs removed”</em> so that the Senate can extend further cuts to education.  Rep. <strong>John Kavanagh</strong>, the Appropriations Chair in the House, also agrees with this assessment:  <em>“These cuts we’re making today barely make a dent in the problem…this is cosmetic.”<br />
</em><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p>If those words aren’t enough to give us all pause, Senator Pearce has gone further to suggest that the legislature should perhaps cut deeper into education in spite of the potential loss of federal stimulus dollars.  When asked what the legislature should do if the federal Department of Education refuses to waive the MOE requirement, Pearce opined:  <em>“Let’s cross that bridge when we get there. <strong> It’s worth asking, and it’s worth maybe ignoring.”</strong></em><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em> </em></strong></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #000080;">What to do?</span></span><br />
</strong><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span>At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we encourage you to continue contacting your legislators to insist that they seek a balanced, measured plan.  Right now we aren’t finding evidence of a plan at all…just random cuts without much foresight into the future of our state.<br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p>We also encourage you to write to local papers and TV stations.  Whether you chose to write an editorial or just a simple email to a reporter, it is important to let them know that we want relevant and <span style="text-decoration: underline;">factual</span> information about our state budget and that we hold education in the highest priority.<br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<p><strong>Find Out More:<br />
</strong><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/fromcomments/319446.php">Bill:  Won’t you donate to ailing state? </a> Arizona Daily Star, November 30, 2009</p>
<p><a href="http://www.yourwestvalley.com/articles/cuts-10553-state-education.html">Governor, lawmakers slash $300 million from budget</a>, YourWestValley.com, November 24, 2009</p>
<p><a href="http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/byauthor/318619">Borrowing plan using lottery weighed</a>, Arizona Daily Star, November 23, 2009</p>
<p><a href="http://www.yumasun.com/news/state-54351-lottery-lawmakers.html">State lawmakers to hold another special session</a>, Yuma Sun, November 20, 2009</p>
<p><a href="http://azcapitoltimes.com/blog/2009/11/20/lawmakers-consider-seeking-exemption-from-stimulus-requirements/">Lawmakers consider seeking exemption from stimulus requirements</a>, Arizona Capitol Times, November 20, 2009</p>
<p><a href="http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/trimming-around-the-edges/Content?oid=1559325">Trimming Around the Edges</a> / Lawmakers attempt to cut state spending – but Arizona remains on the edge of a financial disaster, Jim Nintzel, Tucson Weekly, November 19, 2009</p>
<p><a href="http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2009/11/19/20091119collapse.html">Budget agreement fails; Senate will try again Monday,</a> Arizona Republic, November 20, 2009</p>
<p><a href="http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/fromcomments/318306.php">GOP deal to OK $450M in budget cuts falls apart,</a> AZ Daily Star, November 20, 2009</p>
<p><a href="http://azcapitoltimes.com/blog/2009/11/19/state-borrows-700m-first-external-loan-since-great-depression/">State borrows $700M; first external loan since Great Depression</a>, AZ Capitol Times, November 19, 2009</p>
<p><a href="http://www.azpbs.org/horizon/play.php?vidId=1529">Loan to Pay Arizona’s Bills</a> (Video) State Treasurer Dean Martin discusses the $700 million load the State of Arizona is seeking to meet its financial obligations, November 19, 2009</p>
<p><a href="http://www.douglasdispatch.com/articles/2009/11/11/news/doc4afa13ed4fe95876008100.txt">Voters still locked out of budget process</a>, Douglas Dispatch, November 11, 2009</p>
<p><a href="http://azcapitoltimes.com/blog/2009/09/08/budget-gloom-billion-dollar-deficits-will-plague-ariz-through-2013/">Billion-dollar deficits to plague Arizona through 2013</a>, Arizona Capitol Times, September 8, 2009</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewcenteronthestatesorg/Arizona.pdf?n=6035">Beyond California:  States to Watch, (Arizona Report)</a>, Pew Center on the States, October 2009</p>
<p><a href="http://www.azleg.gov/jlbc/fac102209print.pdf">Finance Advisory Committee, Revenue &amp; Budget Update</a>, Arizona Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC), October 22, 2009</p>
<p><a href="http://www.azleg.gov/jlbc/mfh-oct-09.pdf">JLBC – Monthly Fiscal Highlights,</a> October 2009<br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">.<br />
</span><span style="color: #ffffff;">.<a href="http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/AEN-New-Copyright-Logo.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1389" title="AEN New Copyright Logo" src="http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/AEN-New-Copyright-Logo-300x71.jpg" alt="AEN New Copyright Logo" width="300" height="71" /></a></span></p>
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		<title>House Bill Update &#8211; Tuition Break for Veterans</title>
		<link>http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/2009/06/house-bill-update-tuition-break-for-veterans-june-21-2009/</link>
		<comments>http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/2009/06/house-bill-update-tuition-break-for-veterans-june-21-2009/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 2009 02:27:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>aenadmin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Pending Legislation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recent Legislative Action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recent News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona tuition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona veterans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona veterans tuition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chad Campbell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christopher Deschene]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Daniel Patterson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Stevens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Debbie Lesko]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HB2495]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[higher education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jack Brown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lynne Pancrazi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Martha Garcia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Patricia Fleming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Phil Lopes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rae Waters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rich Crandall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert Meza]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sam Crump]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tom Chabin]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/?p=1175</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We examine House bill HB2495 (In-State Tuition; Veterans) as part of our education legislation series.  There are currently 1,111 bills posted in the Arizona State Legislature - is this one a benefit to the citizens of our state?]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2><a href="http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/6a00e54f8c22b788340105370e9458970b-320pi.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-1050" title="6a00e54f8c22b788340105370e9458970b-320pi" src="http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/6a00e54f8c22b788340105370e9458970b-320pi-150x150.jpg" alt="6a00e54f8c22b788340105370e9458970b-320pi" width="150" height="150" /></a><a style="text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/1r/bills/hb2495h.pdf"><br style="text-decoration: underline;" /><span style="color: #ffffff;"><br style="text-decoration: underline;" /><br />
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</span></span></span></a></h2>
<h2><a href="http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/1r/bills/hb2495h.pdf">HB2495</a> In-State Tuition; Veterans</h2>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<div><strong><span style="color: #ffffff;"><br />
&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;..</span></strong></div>
<p><strong> </p>
<p></strong></p>
<p><strong>Background: </strong>Current Arizona law grants in-state tuition rates to military families stationed in Arizona, members claiming Arizona as a legal residence and honorably discharged veterans who have claimed Arizona as a legal residence for 12 months prior to discharge.  They do not currently extend, however, to honorably discharged veterans who were serving in our state for less than a year.</p>
<p><strong>Bill Proposal:</strong> The bill would amend the current legislation to read “…A person who was serving at a military installation in this state at the time the person was honorably discharged from any branch of the armed forces of the United States is entitled to immediate classification as an in-state student, without regard to the length of time the person was domiciled in this state.”</p>
<p><strong>Bill Sponsors: </strong>Rep Tom Chabin (LD2), Rep Christopher Deschene (LD2), Rep Jack Brown (LD5), Rep Sam Crump (LD6), Rep Debbie Lesko (LD9), Rep Martha Garcia (LD13), Rep Chad Campbell (LD14), Rep Robert Meza (LD14),  Rep Rich Crandall (LD19), Rep Rae Waters (LD20), Rep McGuire (LD23), Rep Lynne Pancrazi (LD24), Rep Patricia Fleming (LD25), Rep David Stevens (LD25) Rep Phil Lopes (LD27) Rep Daniel Patterson (LD29), Rep Frank Antenori (LD30), ,  Rep David Gowan (LD30)</p>
<p><strong>Does the Arizona Education Network support or oppose this bill?</strong> <strong><span style="color: #800000;">SUPPORT</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Why? </strong></p>
<p>There are three main reasons that we support this bill:</p>
<p>&#8211;Our veterans devote several years of their lives to protecting and serving the rest of us.  Offering in-state tuition rates to ANY U.S. veteran is a good idea as far as we’re concerned.</p>
<p>&#8211;Economics Part I:  In our opinion, it is a good idea to offer incentives to keep people who are interested in pursuing a higher education in our state.  College graduates earn more than the average high school graduate throughout their lifetimes, and this pays dividends back to the state in the form of income taxes, reduced reliance on social services, etc.</p>
<p>&#8211;Economics Part II:  Veterans’ life skills and training that are relevant to their area of study and can translate positively into the Arizona workforce.  Studies have shown that veterans who complete higher education studies tend to have lower unemployment rates, were able to utilize their training at work and had higher earnings that those who did not pursue further education.  This translates well for our state economy – studies from the Vietnam-era GI Bill estimate that the college benefits translated into an additional seven dollars to the national economy in terms of productivity, consumer spending and tax revenue for every dollar invested into tuition for vets.</p>
<p><strong>LearnMore</strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>HB2495 can be found in its entirety <a href="http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=HB2495">here</a>.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Related Articles</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/12/13/veterans">A Closer Look at Enrollments of Veterans</a> (Guess, Inside Higher Ed, Dec 2007)</p>
<p>Joint Economic Committee Hearing on the Future Costs of Funding the Iraq War (IAVA testimony, Tom Tarantino)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&amp;_&amp;ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED139917&amp;ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&amp;accno=ED139917">Vietnam Era GI Bill.  A Study Submitted by the Veterans’ Admiistration to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs</a>.  (US Senate, 94<sup>th</sup> Congress, 2<sup>nd</sup> Session, August 1976)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104341551">College Rolls Out Red Carpet for Veterans</a> (Farghalli, NRP, May 2009)</p>
<p><a href="http://www1.umn.edu/umnnews/Feature_Stories/From_Iraq_to_the_classroom.html">From Iraq to the classroom , Iraq Veteran Jeremiah Peterson Talks About Adjusting to Campus Life</a> (Rocker, University of Minnesota, Fall 2007)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/99049.php">U of A Takes Steps to Ease Veterans’ Transition to College</a> (Kornman, Tucson Citizen, October 2008)</p>
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		<title>Senate Bill Update&#8211;More Tax Money for Private Schools</title>
		<link>http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/2009/06/senate-bill-update-more-money-for-private-schools-june-19-2009/</link>
		<comments>http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/2009/06/senate-bill-update-more-money-for-private-schools-june-19-2009/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 20 Jun 2009 03:43:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>aenadmin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Pending Legislation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/?p=1086</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Senate heard several education bills in the Committee as a Whole (COW).  We have provided an analysis for one specific bill – SB1023 – which would allow for an increase in Premium Tax Credits to private schools.  A list of other education-related Senate bill actions from June 18, 2009 can be found at the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Senate heard several education bills in the Committee as a Whole (COW).  We have provided an analysis for one specific bill – <a href="http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=sb1023"><strong>SB1023</strong></a> – which would allow for an increase in Premium Tax Credits to private schools.  <strong><em>A list of other education-related Senate bill actions from June 18, 2009 can be found at the end of this post.</em></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;"><a href="http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/6a00e54f8c22b788340105370e9458970b-320pi.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1050" title="6a00e54f8c22b788340105370e9458970b-320pi" src="http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/6a00e54f8c22b788340105370e9458970b-320pi-300x230.jpg" alt="6a00e54f8c22b788340105370e9458970b-320pi" width="90" height="83" /></a>…………………………</span></p>
<h3><span style="color: #4005f9;">Arizona Education Network Bill Analysis – SB1023 “Premium Tax Credit; STO Contribution”</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffffff;">…………………… </span></h3>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">……………………………………..</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000080;">What is it?</span> </strong>The “Premium Tax Credit; STO Contribution” bill allows insurers to take a credit against their insurance premium tax liability for donations to a private School Tuition Organization (STO). The original corporate tax credit legislation passed in 2006 was capped at $10 million in corporate tax credit contributions per year, with a 20% increase beginning in FY2007-2008 ($12 million), a 20% increase in FY2008-2009 ($14.4 billion) and a 20% increase in FY2009-2010 ($17.3 million).  The original corporate tax credit legislation was written to expire in June 2011 – the current bill is written to extend it indefinitely and will continue to allow for a <em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">20%</span></em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> <em>increase in private school tuition tax credit allocations each fiscal year</em>.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000080;">What are STOs?</span></strong> School Tuition Organizations (STOs) were originally created when the first private school tax credit legislation was passed in 1997.  Unlike other Arizona tax credits, the legislature designed the private tax credit system to be administered by a corporate ‘middle man’ or STO.  Their function is to process the tax credits and then distribute them to private schools.  STOs are largely unregulated and are able to claim up to 10% of tax dollars for their administrative fees.  For more on STOs &amp; tax credits, click <a href="../2009/06/tax-credits/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000080;">Is the Arizona Education Network </span><em><span style="color: #000080;">for</span></em><span style="color: #000080;"> or </span><em><span style="color: #000080;">against</span></em><span style="color: #000080;"> the Premium Tax Credit Bill?</span></strong>:  <strong><span style="color: #993300;">AGAINST</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000080;">Why?</span> </strong>Our Southern Arizona parent organizations are united in opposition to any increase in private school tax credit programs.</p>
<p>Our chief concerns are as follows:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>1.   First and foremost, existing<strong> School Tuition Organizations appear to already have millions in un-allocated tax dollars sitting in their bank accounts. </strong>Why do we need to divert additional tax money to private schools–especially in light of the state’s current fiscal crisis?<strong> </strong></em></p>
<p>Arizona’s current corporate private school tax credit legislation allows up to $14.4 million in corporate tax receipts to be allocated to private school STOs in the 2008-2009 school year.  This amount is already set to increase by 20% (to $17.2 million) next year.  A brief examination of the most recent Arizona Department of Revenue tax credit reports shows that <strong>corporate STOs ended 2007 with over $9.6 million in unspent tax dollars in their tuition accounts. </strong></p>
<p>Eighteen STOs received corporate tax credits totaling $14,258,000 in 2007…these same STOs, however, only awarded $4,621,290 in scholarship money during the same year.<strong> </strong>While we recognize that some of those dollars may have been allocated for future scholarships or for payments made in the latter half of the school year, we question why anyone would be seeking to divert more of our tax dollars into private corporate accounts–especially in light of our current <strong>$4 billion dollar </strong>budget deficit.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>2. </em><em><strong>The proposed bill will effectively draw funds away from services that extend to the majority of both children </strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>and</strong></span><strong> corporations in our state. </strong></em></p>
<p>The move to divert additional public tax dollars into private schools runs counter to the fact that some of the same legislators have been promoting deep cuts to DES (Department of Economic Security) and the Public K-12 Schools which provide services to the majority of children in our state.  We feel that the ideological desire to promote ‘school choice’ has clearly gotten in the way of common sense in this instance.</p>
<p>Corporate tax receipts, which are allocated to private school STOs, are tax dollars which cannot fund our existing public obligations.  Today our state is facing a massive deficit due in large part to the decline in our tax receipts…again, common sense would suggest that this is not the time to divert more public money into private institutions.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">3.  <strong><em>We have received extensive documentation which raises serious ethical concerns about the structure of the STO programs.</em></strong></p>
<p>Rep. Steve Yarbrough (Chandler, LD21) has been the primary proponent for expanding the private school tax credit program and for increasing the dollars sent through the tax credit firms.  (For more articles depicting this conflict: http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/2009/05/tax-credits-stos/)</p>
<p>While Rep. Yarbrough has claimed not to have a financial connection to the corporate STOs, School Choice Arizona – the largest corporate tax credit recipient in 2007 – just happens to share the same office space, an almost identical board of directors–and even a fax number with Rep. Yarbrough, ACSTO and his legal firm.  School Choice Arizona took in just nine corporate donations in 2007, but they totaled a very generous $3.2 million dollars – or an average of over $355,000 per donor.<strong> This same STO reported scholarships of only $792,223 for that year; which would have left $2.4 million in carry over into 2008.</strong></p>
<p>In addition to this questionable non-relationship, Rep. Yarbrough compensates himself generously for his role in ACSTO- the private tax credit organization in which he founded in 1998, after the legislature created the School Tuition Organization system.  Within just this single tuition tax credit processing company, Rep. Yarbrough’s share of tax credit dollars has grown to include:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Salary:</strong> <strong>$96,000</strong>/year</li>
<li><strong>HY Processing:</strong> Rep. Yarbrough founded this processing company with his ACSTO co-founder, David Harowitz in October 2005.  Between 2006-2007, HY Processing charged ACSTO <strong>$790,515 </strong>in “administrative” fees.</li>
<li><strong>Legal fees:</strong> Despite the fact that attorney Yarbrough is the acting director, ACSTO still paid over <strong>$171,000 </strong>in legal fees between 2001-2007.</li>
<li><strong>Landlord fees:</strong> Yarbrough purchased a 1,150 sq ft office suite in 2005 for $275,504 and now charges ACSTO <strong>$44,981/year</strong> in rent.   He also spent just under 50% of the suite’s original value <strong>($124,653)</strong> in leasehold improvements.  School Choice Arizona caught a better break and pays just <strong>$4,000</strong> in rent each year.  It is also worth noting that Rep. Yarbrough’s law office is in the same suite…though what, if any, rent his legal firm is paying is not on public record.</li>
</ul>
<p>Is this illegal?  Probably not.  Existing STO legislation allows private tax credit organizations to keep up to 10% of incoming tax dollars for administrative costs.  It does appear, however, that Rep. Yarbrough is finding ways to ensure that he is able to capture the full 10% of all incoming tax dollars for his personal enterprise.</p>
<p>Rep. Yarbrough’s conflict of interest aside, we feel that his example illustrates the need for reform in the current tax credit system. <strong>We strongly oppose legislation to increase the size or scope of <em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">any</span> </em>new or existing tax credit programs until reforms can be put into place. </strong>There is certainly a better way to fund education and to wisely manage our limited tax dollars.</p>
<p align="center"><strong><span style="color: #000080;">To find out more about the current legislation, STOs and private school tax credits please visit:</span></strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<ul>
<li>House of Representatives version of the bill – <a href="http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=HB2288">HB2288</a></li>
<li>Senate version of the bill – <a href="http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=sb1023">SB1023</a></li>
<li>Arizona Department of Revenue – <a href="http://www.revenue.state.az.us/ResearchStats/2007%20corporate%20school_credit%20report.pdf">Corporate Income Tax Credit Contributions to School Tuition Organizations 2007</a></li>
<li>Rep. Steve Yarbrough’s STO:  <a href="http://www.acsto.org/">ACSTO</a> – Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization</li>
<li>Related articles:
<ul>
<li>Tucson Weekly, <a href="http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/ethics-101/Content?oid=1193245">Ethics 101</a> (May 28, 2009, Herreras)</li>
<li>Arizona Republic, <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/05/19/20090519yarbrough0519.html">Lawmakers Dual Role Drawing Fire</a> (May 19, 2009 Pitzl)</li>
<li>Arizona Daily Star, <a href="http://www.azstarnet.com/opinion/294043.php">Special session considers bad bill, wastes money, derails budget debate</a> (May 23, 2009, Editorial)</li>
<li>Arizona Daily Star, <a href="http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/fromcomments/293468.php">Tucsonans see conflict in new tuition credit</a> (May 19, 2009, Scarpinato)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p align="center"><strong><span style="color: #800000;">Additional education bills discussed in the Senate this week: </span></strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/1r/summary/s.1197ed_strikermemo_caucus-floor.doc.htm">SB 1997</a> Special Education Task Force – establishes a nine member special education task force to be appointed by the State Board of Education.  Task force will be charged with recommending best practices for the behavior management and discipline of special education students.  (<strong>passed</strong>)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/1r/summary/s.1375ed_strikermemo_caucus-floor.doc.htm">SB 1375</a> Student information – Requires parents to submit a written request to obtain their child’s education records  (<strong>passed</strong>)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/1r/summary/s.1393ed_caucus-floor.doc.htm">SB 1393</a> Student religious liberties – This bill would prohibit a public educational institution from discriminating against students or parents on the basis of a religious viewpoint or expression. It would also “Permits prayer, engagement in religious activities or expression to the same extent that nonreligious activities and expression are permitted”. (<strong>passed</strong>)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/1r/summary/s.1427ed_caucus-floor.doc.htm">SB 1427</a> School instructional technology &amp; fees – bill authorizes school district governing boards to assess reasonable fees and damage deposits for instructional technology issued to students (<strong>bill retained</strong>)</li>
</ul>
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		<title>Legislation Under Consideration  &#8211; Senate Committee on Education Accountability and Reform  Meeting:  Wednesday, June 24th  1:30pm</title>
		<link>http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/2009/06/legislation-action-alert/</link>
		<comments>http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/2009/06/legislation-action-alert/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:56:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Pending Legislation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona legislation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Charter School Zoning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HB2099]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HB2137]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HB2268]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HB2346]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HB2432]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HB2495]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HB2515]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HB2516]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HB2525]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HB2628]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SB1172]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Senate Committee on Education Accountability and Reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gowebsolutions.com/~aen/?p=559</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Listing and links to bills scheduled to be heard in the Arizona Senate Committee on Education Accountability and Reform on June 24, 2009.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h5>Committee on Education Accountability and Reform</h5>
<h5><span style="color: #000000;">Meeting:  Wednesday, June 24, 2009</span></h5>
<h5><span style="color: #000000;">1:30pm Senate Hearing Room One</span></h5>
<h5>* Meeting is open to the public  *</h5>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.</span></p>
<p>The meeting agenda can be found <a href="http://www.azleg.gov/agendas/0624011387.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.  You can also watch the live proceedings by going to <a href="http://www.azleg.gov" target="_blank">www.azleg.gov</a> and clicking on “Live Proceedings” under the FAQ heading in the left column.</p>
<p><em><span style="color: #003366;">Click on any of the bill numbers below to connect to their corresponding Arizona Legislature page.</span></em></p>
<p><strong>Bills Scheduled for Discussion:</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=HB2099"><strong>HB 2099</strong></a> <strong><span style="color: #333399;">Charter Schools; Zoning </span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span>Classifies charter schools as public schools for the purposes of zoning in municipalities and counties.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=HB2137"><strong>HB2137</strong></a> <strong><span style="color: #333399;">School bus inspections; rules</span></strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Bill would remove the current requirement for DPS (Department of Public Safety) to inspect registered school buses each year.  In place of this annual inspection, the bill states “that school buses shall be inspected according to rules adopted pursuant to <a href="http://www.azleg.state.az.us/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/ars/28/00900.htm&amp;Title=28&amp;DocType=ARS">section 28-900</a>.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=HB2268"><strong>HB2268</strong></a> <strong><span style="color: #333399;">County and municipal budgets</span></strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Bill requires all counties, cities, towns and community colleges to post their estimates of expenses or budgets on websites.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=HB2346"><strong>HB2346</strong></a><strong> </strong><strong><span style="color: #333399;">Charter Schools; Leased Property</span></strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The Arizona Constitution allows property tax exemptions for educational, charitable and religious associations or institutions not used or held for profit.  Property owned by non-profit religious or charitable organizations that lease property to non-profit charter school organizations are currently exempt from property tax.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">This bill would allow property leased to a non-profit charter school to be exempt from property taxation, regardless of whether or not the property owner is non-profit or for-profit.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=HB2432"><strong>HB 2432</strong></a> <strong><span style="color: #333399;">School Board Membership; Family Members</span></strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">This bill would prohibit immediate family or household members from serving simultaneously on a five-member school district governing board in the same district or running in the same governing board election.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/1r/summary/h.hb2495_03-04-09_caucuscow.doc.htm"><strong>HB2495</strong></a><span style="color: #333399;"> </span><strong><span style="color: #333399;">In-State Tuition; Veterans</span></strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The current laws allow military families stationed in Arizona, members claiming Arizona as a legal residence and honorably discharged veterans  who have claimed Arizona as a legal residence for 12 months prior to discharge to claim in-state tuition benefits.  HB2495 would extend the in-state tuition rates to any military family who was honorably discharged from an Arizona military installation, regardless of the length of time the person was domiciled in Arizona. (<span style="color: #800000;">See our detailed analysis </span><a href="http://www.arizonaeducationnetwork.com/2009/06/house-bill-update-tuition-break-for-veterans-june-21-2009/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800000;">here</span></a>.)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/1r/summary/h.hb2515_03-18-09_caucuscow.doc.htm"><strong>HB2515</strong></a> <strong><span style="color: #333399;">School District Over-expenditures; Correction; Reduction</span></strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">This bill would deduct $500,000 from the amount currently scheduled to be repaid to the state by Peach Springs Unified School District if PSUSD “successfully conducts an election to exclude all real property not located on the (Hualapai) Indian Reservation from PSUSD’s boundaries”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/1r/summary/h.hb2516_3-2-09_ed.doc.htm"><strong>HB2516</strong></a> <strong><span style="color: #333399;">Schools; Administrative Reduction</span></strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">This swarthy bill would make a number of changes to statutes regulating school districts and charter schools, including…</p>
<ul style="padding-left: 30px;">
<li>The elimination of  the current requirement for school districts to maintain a quarter mile buffer zone between school and agricultural property.</li>
<li>Reduces the amount of time that a school district must allow a teacher to correct inadequate classroom performance from 85 days to 60 days after receiving the initial notice.</li>
<li>Allows school districts to sell advertising space on their athletic facilities.</li>
<li style="padding-left: 30px;">Removes the requirement for school district governing boards to secure insurance coverage and performance and payment bonds for all construction projects.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=HB2525"><strong>HB2525</strong></a> <strong><span style="color: #333399;">TAPBI Programs; Schools</span></strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;">This bill creates a Technology Assisted Project-Based Instruction (TAPBI) Advisory Committee and allows TAPBI programs to account for Average Daily Membership (ADM) any time during the day or year.  This legislation follows a 2007 performance audit of the TAPBI program and subsequent recommendations for improvement.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=HB2628"><strong>HB2628</strong></a> <strong><span style="color: #333399;">Parents’ rights; Education; Health; Discipline</span></strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;">The Parents’ Rights bill presents a laundry list of specific mandates relating to a parent’s right within Arizona.  Included in the bill is the following language;</p>
<ul style="padding-left: 60px;">
<li>“The following rights are reserved to a parent or legal guardian of a minor child without obstruction or interference from any governmental entity or from any employee of a governmental entity:</li>
</ul>
<ol style="padding-left: 60px;">
<li>The education of the minor child</li>
<li>The upbringing of the minor child</li>
<li>Discipline of the minor child</li>
<li>The moral or religious training of the minor child</li>
<li>Health care decisions for the minor child, including decisions relating to mental health and immunizations.</li>
</ol>
<ul style="padding-left: 60px;">
<li style="padding-left: 30px;">“This act is an emergency measure that is necessary to preserve the public peace, health or safety and is operative immediately as provided by law.”</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=SB1172"><strong>SB1172</strong></a> <strong><span style="color: #333399;">Schools; Data; Noncitizen Students</span></strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;">If enacted, this bill would require the Arizona Department of Education to collect and report data on all students who cannot demonstrate proof of legal US residence.  Data includes research on the “adverse impact on their enrollment” and cost estimates for the education of students who are not US citizens.  If districts fail to comply, SB1172 qualifies the state superintendent to withhold all state financial payments to the schools.</p>
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