The House version of the public employee bargaining bill House Bill 508, sponsored by House Speaker Ben Lujan  received a do-pass recommendation in the House Labor and Human Resources Committee on Tuesday afternoon.  

The Vote in House Labor and Human Resources Committee was:

The Bill goes next to the House Appropriations and Finance Committee. Call committee members and all House Members and ask them to support House Bill 508.

Senate Bill 46, the Senate version of public employee bargaining received a do-pass recommendation in the Senate Judiciary  Committee Monday afternoon.  The vote was:

The bill goes next to the Senate Finance Committee.   Ask committee members  as well as other  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)an impasse resolution procedure that ends in final binding arbitration.
  
These three issues are the heart of the new legislation. 

Help for Health Insurance Premiums

House Bill 276, State Contribution to Group Insurance, introduced by Representative Pauline Ponce, will be heard in the House Education Committee  on Wednesday.  This bill will increase the employer contribution for group insurance to 75% of premium for everyone next year and to 80% in subsequent years.  Ask members of the Committee to support this important financial benefit for employees in this year of inflated health insurance premiums.

Education Reform and Teacher Salaries

House Bill 212, Education Reform will be heard in the House Education Committee on Friday.  The bill sponsored by Representative Mimi Stewart for the Legislative Education Study Committee, will provide a new licensure system for teachers tied to minimum salary levels.  While the bill mainly addresses teachers, it is a good first step to comprehensive reform and is supported by most education advocacy groups.  Call members of the committee and ask them to support House Bill 212

House Bill 451, providing 18 million dollars for a one time one percent increase for all school employees in the current school year has been introduced by Representative Sheryl Williams-Stapleton. This legislation fulfills House Democrats pledge to provide supplemental salary funding this year following their approval of the Budget negotiated in the Extraordinary Session of the Legislature last summer. Urge Democratic House Members to keep their pledge and support this token salary increase now.  The measure's first hearing will be in the House Education Committee.

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!

Plan to Spend Presidents' Day in Santa Fe for Education Lobby Day on February 17