Debate Transcripts

LB 813 (1999)

General File

February 19, 1999

SENATOR CUDABACK: LB 270A (sic (LB) 272A) does advance. Next item, Mr. Clerk.

CLERK: (LB) 813, Mr. President, by Senator Bohlke. (Read title.) Bill was introduced on January 20, referred to the Education Committee, advanced to General File. There are committee amendments, Mr. President.

SPEAKER KRISTENSEN PRESIDING

SPEAKER KRISTENSEN: Senator Bohlke, you're recognized to open on your bill.

SENATOR BOHLKE: Yes, Mr. Speaker and members, this is the technical bill from the Department of Education and the main provisions of the bill are the renaming and modifications of the mission of the Nebraska School for the Visually Handicapped; renaming the special education allowance as the special receipts allowance; distinguishing developmental delays from other disabilities; removing provisions for Class II school districts to hold annual and special meetings; modifying the college admissions test criteria for the quality education incentives; replacing current alternative teaching certificates with authority for the department to establish specific certificates without all of the statutory restrictions; and modifications of various reporting requirements. There are also other minor modifications of current statutory requirements and the outright repeal of statutes that are no longer required with the modifications made in this bill. I would like to draw your attention to one area that you all may have had some calls on that is contained in this bill and that was with the Quality Incentive Act last session and the schools that qualified on the tests and those that did not. And we had calls mainly from the schools who did not, but one issue that they did raise that we

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thought in committee made some sense was the fact that currently 60 percent have to take the test. And so, if it would be a class of 100, if 60 per ... if 45 took the ACT and 35 took the SAT, that would qualify them. What the amendment does is, if you take those same 100 students you would ... and take ... that take the test, 60 percent of the 100 is 60 students, and so what this allows you to do actually is just throw out 10 scores from that local and statewide averaging. Schools were very receptive to this. They thought that would make it fairer in coming up with that statewide average. And so I did, although it is technical, I did want to draw your attention to that because I know a number of you had received communication on that subject. So with that, I'll answer any questions.

SPEAKER KRISTENSEN: Senator Bohlke, Chair of the Education Committee, you're recognized to open on the committee amendments. (Standing Committee amendment AM0262 is found on page 575 of the Legislative Journal.)

SENATOR BOHLKE: The committee amendments are, very simply, Section 4 of the bill is amended by reinstating "delays" into a reference to the term "developmental delays", and the second one, in Section 17 of the bill, is amended by deleting a sentence that requires the statewide average for a standard college admission test to include all Nebraska public school students who have taken at least one of the tests. This sentence conflicted with a later sentence stating that the statewide average would include only the scores used to calculate local system averages.

SPEAKER KRISTENSEN: Discussion on the committee amendments? Seeing none, Senator Bohlke, you're recognized to close on the committee amendments. She waives the closing. The question before the body is the adoption of the committee amendments to LB 813. All those in favor vote aye; all those opposed vote nay. Please record.

CLERK: 27 ayes, 0 nays, Mr. President, on the adoption of committee amendments.

SPEAKER KRISTENSEN: Committee amendments are adopted. Amendment on the desk.

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CLERK: Mr. President, Senator Bohlke, I now have AM0347 in front of me, Senator. (See page 649 of the Legislative Journal.)

SPEAKER KRISTENSEN: Senator Bohlke, you're recognized to open on the amendment.

SENATOR BOHLKE: Thank you, Mr. President and members. This amendment was brought to us by the Class I schools and what it does is clarifies that the request for Class I districts to exceed their budget authority is for the total general fund budget of the expenditures. This is in response to their concerns that they had heard from some of their Class I districts.

SPEAKER KRISTENSEN: Debate on the amendment? Senator Bohlke, you're recognized to close on your amendment. She waives closing. The question before the body is the adoption of AM0347 to LB 813. All those in favor vote aye; all those opposed vote nay. Members, if you care to vote, would you please do so? Record.

CLERK: 25 ayes, 0 nays, Mr. President, on the adoption of Senator Bohlke's amendment.

SPEAKER KRISTENSEN: The amendment is adopted.

CLERK: Senator Bohlke, I now have AM0188 in front of me, Senator. (See pages 650-653 of the Legislative Journal.)

SPEAKER KRISTENSEN: Senator Bohlke, you're recognized to open on AM0188.

SENATOR BOHLKE: Thank you, Mr. President and members. This amendment was brought to us by Bill Drafters and it simply clarifies the organization of the subdivisions dealing with home schools.

SPEAKER KRISTENSEN: Debate on the amendment? Senator Bohlke, you're recognized to close on the amendment. She waives closing. The question before the body is the adoption of AM0188

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to 813. All those in favor vote aye; all those opposed vote nay. Members, please vote if you care to. Record.

CLERK: 27 ayes, 0 nays, Mr. President, on adoption of Senator Bohlke's amendment.

SPEAKER KRISTENSEN: The amendment is adopted.

CLERK: I have nothing further on the bill, Mr. President.

SPEAKER KRISTENSEN: Debate on advancement of the bill? Senator Bohlke, you're recognized to close on the advancement of LB 813. She waives closing on the advancement. The question before the body is the advancement of LB 813 to E & R Initial. All those in favor vote aye; all those opposed vote nay. Record.

CLERK: 26 ayes, 0 nays, Mr. President, on the advancement of 813.

SPEAKER KRISTENSEN: LB 813 advances. LB 226.

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