2009-01-30 Legislation filed to HB0225

More legislation filed in the Tennessee House and quick comments from yours truly.

Rep. Jim Coley is the secretary for the House Education Committee and he's been filing education related legislation.

*HB 0206 by Rep. Jim Coley (R-Bartlett)

Appropriations - As introduced, appropriates $300,000 to the Earth Sciences Department at the University of Memphis for the study of ecological tourism. -

Seriously? When the state is currently running a budget deficit? There have got to be a thousand things more important...including letting taxpayers keep their own cash during these tougher times.

*HB 0207 by Rep. Jim Coley (R-Bartlett)

Education - As introduced, specifies that any transcript provided a public high school must contain courses taken and grades received, attendance, standardized test scores, discipline incidents, and weighted grade point average. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 4.

This summary is a bit unclear. The act actually says 'any transcript provided BY a public high school'.

*HB 0208 by Rep. Jim Coley (R-Bartlett)

Education - As introduced, requires department of education to establish, administer, and monitor a grant for eligible non-profit organizations providing civic education programs. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.

$95,000 and the fight will be over whose version of 'civic education' will win this grant. Another no.

*HB 0209 by Rep. Jim Coley (R-Bartlett)

Education - As introduced, requires graduating high school students to take a foreign language proficiency test that will provide diagnostic information to educators. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 60.

No. The DOE is charged with creating yet another test that won't mean anything outside of Tennessee. From the act:

All tests developed or used to implement this section, all banks of questions, all field testing documents used as background for the development of the tests, and all answers shall be kept confidential when and for so long as is necessary to protect the integrity of the tests, and accordingly, are exempt from the requirements of § 10-7-503.

10-7-503 is the open records law. Personal information for the test takers, yes. All else, no.

*HB 0210 by Rep. Jim Coley (R-Bartlett)

Budget Procedures - As introduced, requires K-12 education and higher education funding to be passed by the house of representatives and the senate prior to consideration of general appropriations bill for funding remainder of state government. - Amends TCA Title 9.

The Republicans promised they'd make education funding job #1 this session. Looks like their serious about that. This version includes higher education. HB212 (below) excludes higher education. I prefer HB212 below. I don't think state government should be funding higher education. It certainly shouldn't have priority over safety, health and debt issues.

*HB 0211 by Rep. Jim Coley (R-Bartlett)

Education - As introduced, requires written disciplinary referrals to be signed by the student's parent or guardian and returned to the school faculty or staff member who issued it. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.

Of course.

*HB 0212 by Rep. Jim Coley (R-Bartlett)

Budget Procedures - As introduced, requires K-12 education funding to be passed by the house of representatives and the senate prior to consideration of general appropriations bill for funding the remainder of state government. - Amends TCA Title 9.

As noted above this version excludes higher education in that Republican promise to fund education first. I prefer this bill for the reasons above at HB 210.

*HB 0213 by Rep. Bill Harmon (D-Dunlap) ( SB 0100 by Sen. Andy Berke (D-Chattanooga) )

Highway Signs - As introduced, "Sheriff Ernest Haskew Memorial Highway," segment of S.R. 2 in Marion County. -

*HB 0214 by Rep. Bill Harmon (D-Dunlap)

Beer - As introduced, corrects definitional cross-reference for "beer wholesalers" under beer distribution licensing law. - Amends TCA Title 57, Chapter 5, Part 1.

*HB 0215 by Rep. Bill Harmon (D-Dunlap)

Criminal Procedure - As introduced, grants trial judge the option to resentence a defendant whose probation has been revoked to a sentence of community correction as well as ordering the original sentence reinstated and the incarceration of the defendant. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 35.

*HB 0216 by Rep. Bill Harmon (D-Dunlap)

Highway Signs - As introduced, "Deputy Anthony Shane Tate Memorial Highway," segment of State Route 56 in Grundy County. -

*HB 0217 by Rep. George Fraley (D-Winchester)

Education - As introduced, requires each LEA to provide transitional kindergarten program for children admitted to kindergarten who are developmentally delayed, as determined by the LEA, as prerequisite to attending kindergarten. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.

So what's Pre-K for then if not as stated in the act "an approved transitional kindergarten program before attending kindergarten."? Another big NO here.

*HB 0218 by Rep. Henry Fincher (D-Cookeville)

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, requires certain actions by buyers and dealers of scrap jewelry and metal and makes a violation of such requirements a Class A misdemeanor. - Amends TCA Title 38, Chapter 1, Part 2.

A sign of the times, I suppose.

*HB 0219 by Rep. Henry Fincher (D-Cookeville)

TennCare - As introduced, requires the department of health to notify each member of the general assembly of any proposed TennCare program changes that will affect services currently provided to TennCare enrollees. - Amends TCA Title 3 and Title 71.

Might be nice if they just went ahead and tell everyone what the changes will be and how that will impact enrollees and taxpayers.

*HB 0220 by Rep. Henry Fincher (D-Cookeville)

TennCare - As introduced, subject to restrictions in federal law, prohibits the bureau of TennCare from disenrolling persons for fiscal or other reasons until the bureau has verified the social security numbers of all enrollees and purged all persons ineligible due to issues of fraud or lack of lawful US residence. - Amends TCA Title 71.

*HB 0221 by Rep. Eddie Bass (D-Prospect)

Handgun Permits - As introduced, makes information contained in handgun carry permit applications and renewals, information provided to agencies to investigate applicant, and records maintained relative to the permit application confidential and creates Class A fine only misdemeanor of unauthorized publication of permit information or records. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13.

*HB 0222 by Rep. G. A. Hardaway (D-Memphis)

Welfare - As introduced, requires the commissioner of human services to report by February 1 of each year to the senate general welfare committee and the house health and human resources committee concerning the amount of sales tax paid by persons using electronic benefit transfer cards. - Amends TCA Title 67 and Title 71.

*HB 0223 by Rep. G. A. Hardaway (D-Memphis)

Taxes, Privilege - As introduced, requires the commissioner of revenue (in consultation with TACIR) to report to the house and senate standing finance committees by February 1, 2010, and every five years thereafter concerning the impact of privilege taxes that only the state can levy on local governments. - Amends TCA Title 67.

*HB 0224 by Rep. G. A. Hardaway (D-Memphis)

Correctional Programs - As introduced, establishes pilot halfway house program to be administered by department of correction. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 10; Title 40 and Title 41.

Looks like we're paying for the reinvention of the wheel.

*HB 0225 by Rep. Glen Casada (R-Franklin)

Planning, Public - As introduced, modifies certain public notice requirements pertaining to regional planning and municipal planning. - Amends TCA Section 13-3-303; Section 13-3-304 and Section 13-4-202.

From 30 days notice to just 15.