Senate Bill 46, the Public Employee Collective Bargaining Act, be Received a bipartisan  do-pass recommendation in the Senate Public Affairs Committee on Tuesday Afternoon.  Republican Senators Komadina and Hurt Joined Democrats Feldman, Garcia, and Pinto for the bipartisan vote; only Republican Boitano voted against the bill.  A long series of negotiations with representatives of public employers has led to a compromise version of Senate Bill 46, which will be know as the Senate Public Affairs Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 46 from now on.  The compromise still contains most of the items we wanted in the bill; it will appear as committee substitute tomorrow.  The next stop in the Senate is the Senate Judiciary Committee, contact members of the  Senate Judiciary Committee, ask them to give the bill a do-pass recommendation.  

Most management groups including the Coalition of School Administrators, the Municipal League, and League of Counties have agreed not to oppose the legislation. The bill is sponsored by Senate President pro temp Richard Romero and co-sponsored by Democratic Floor Leader Manny Aragon.   

House Speaker Ben Lujan  introduced the same version in the House Monday, House Bill 508.  It will be heard first in the House Government and Urban Affairs Committee at 8:00 AM in Room 324 on Thursday, February 6!  Remind all committee members as well as other House Members, and all Senators to support school employees' (and other public employees) collective bargaining rights.  The legislation still contains language that:

(1) forces local board policies adopted since 1991 to comply with most provisions of the new law; 
(2)adopts a scope of bargaining that forces school management to talk about professional and instructional concerns; and 
(3)a impasse resolution procedure that ends in final binding arbitration.
  
These three issues are the heart of the new legislation.  Call all Senators and ask them to support Senate Bill 46, as amended in the Senate Public Affairs Committee next Tuesday. The legislation is sponsored by Senate President pro temp Richard Romero and co-sponsored by Democratic Floor Leader Manny Aragon. 

The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees will host a noon rally at the State Capitol on Thursday, February 6 in support of public employee bargaining.  All public employees and supporters are invited to attend. 

Don't forget these this important event:

House Education Committee Hearing on February 8

We need to begin contacting all House Members, and all Senators as well as Governor Richardson, immediately regarding salaries and school budgets.  Our message must be simple:

• Schools need adequate new revenues, we can't find all the money need for salaries and reform by simply reallocating current budgets (although prioritizing salaries and the classroom over administrative costs is an important priority).

• All school employees deserve salary increases Now!  No category of employee should be left behind just because teacher salaries are the most easily ranked among the states!