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By
Otto Fajen
MNEA Legislative Director
Number
1
Jan. 8, 2009
GREAT
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Missouri NEA believes that great public schools are
a basic right for every child. The Association will
continue to promote a positive agenda that strengthens
public education and public educators for the benefit
of children. Key issues for the upcoming session will
include: supporting adequate funding for public education,
protecting the constitutional rights of education employees
by enacting a good collective bargaining law and ensuring
all children have healthcare and come to school ready
to learn.
The
Association will also work to push back the extremist
attacks on public education and uncover the deceptions
of proposals that purport to help schools and teachers
but actually undermine public education values.
NEW
LEADERS FACE BIG PROBLEMS, SEEK COOPERATION
The new legislative session began on Jan. 7, 2009. Introductory
remarks were offered by new House Speaker Ron Richard
and new Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields. Both
leaders promised to work with the other chamber and
with Governor-Elect Jay Nixon to help lead the state
as it faces immense challenges.
Sen.
Shields focused his remarks on three priorities: making
Missouri attractive to employers, getting health care
for more Missourians and building a better educated
workforce. He echoed the Association’s belief
that economic prosperity is directly related to the
level of education of the population. Sen. Shields spoke
of the need to offer quality preschool for all children,
improve K-12 education and make higher education more
affordable.
Speaker
Richards echoed the commitment to improve health care
access while also promising to help create more jobs,
simplify the state’s tax code, cut taxes and invest
in alternative energy.
The
Association appreciates the commitment of legislative
leaders to work together and work with the governor
to meet Missouri’s challenges. Also welcome is
the leadership’s commitment to focus on healthcare
and education for all Missourians. At the same time,
the Association urges the legislature to avoid enacting
further tax cuts. Recent tax cuts and tax credits have
exacerbated the current budget problems, and further
tax cuts would only compound the problem now and in
the future.
BUDGET
SHORTFALL PRESENTS BIGGEST CHALLENGE
This will be an important year for the future of public
education in Missouri. The recent economic downturn
has created uncertainty regarding future state revenues.
The state started the fiscal year with an operating
balance of over $850 million, but withering state revenues
mean that significant state budget cuts are expected
during the current budget year. Even bigger cuts of
perhaps 15 percent to 25 percent will be made in next
year’s budget.
The
Association urges the General Assembly to address the
structural budget deficit, improve the fairness of the
state tax code and ensure adequate funding for public
education and other vital public services.
COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING
MNEA supports collective bargaining rights for all education
employees. An effective bargaining process must have
a unified employee voice. MNEA supports legislation
that would treat all public employees fairly and that
is built on broad consensus among public employee groups
and public employers. An effective bargaining law must
provide for exclusive bargaining representation, a duty
for both employees and employers to bargain in good
faith, binding agreements with a clear ratification
process and a fair process to resolve impasse and grievances.
MISSOURI
NEA’S COMPREHENSIVE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS PROGRAM
Missouri NEA will depend on a grassroots lobbying effort
led by MNEA and carried out by our Government Relation
Teams and our membership. Our members must take the
initiative to contact legislators about the key issues
affecting public education. Here’s what you can
do to support MNEA’s legislative agenda:
-
Be a part of your local Government
Relations Team.
-
Take the initiative to contact
local legislators now to discuss our key issues.
-
Attend the legislative
brunch or dinner in your area.
-
Attend the Missouri NEA
Capitol Action Days for your governance district.
Capitol Action Days begin in early February and include
most Wednesdays until the first week of May.
-
Receive and read the daily MNEA Daily Legislative
Update 2009 via e-mail while the legislature is
in session from January to May.
-
Visit the Missouri Legislative Action Center: http://capwiz.com/nea/mo/state/main/?state=MO.
The Missouri Legislative Action Center (MLAC) is a
convenient, Web-based way to lobby state legislators
(and other elected officials) on key education issues.
MLAC uses a program called CapWiz to make sending
an e-mail on a priority issue quick and easy. As priority
issues move forward this session, the MNEA Daily Legislative
Update will provide links to action alerts on the
MLAC Web site.
CAPITOL
ACTION DAYS RETURN
MNEA Capitol Action Days will allow planned, face-to-face
contact with legislators throughout the legislative
session. Capitol Action Days will generally be on Wednesdays
starting with the first week in February and continuing
through the first week of May. Your MNEA calendar includes
the dates board members selected for your governance
district. If you are not able to attend on these designated
days, feel free to contact MNEA Legislative Director
Otto Fajen at otto.fajen@mnea.org
to let him know when you can attend on another Capitol
Action Day.
Typical
Capitol Action Day Agenda
10:00
a.m. Meet for briefing, 2nd Floor Capitol rotunda, Senate
side alcove under the grand staircase
10:15 a.m. Visit with your legislator/watch floor debate
12:00 noon Invite legislator to lunch
1:00-4:30
p.m. Committee hearings, floor debate, visiting legislators
FINDING
INFORMATION ABOUT BILLS
To find out more about legislation this session, go
to: http://www.mnea.org/gr/legissues.htm.
This page contains numerous links, including the NEA
Legislative Action Center, which addresses key education
issues at the federal level, and the Missouri NEA Legislative
Action Center, which will address key education issues
at the state level. This page will contain links to
legislative updates, the MNEA Legislative Platform,
legislative priorities and other policy-related links.
To
find information about a specific bill currently pending
before the Missouri General Assembly, go to: http://www.house.mo.gov/billcentral.aspx.
Type the bill number (example: HB1000) or sponsor name
in the “search” box to find a link to the
bill. This link will take you to a “home page”
for the bill that provides bill text, bill summaries,
fiscal notes and information on legislative action on
the bill.
PLAN
TO ATTEND YOUR MNEA LEGISLATIVE BRUNCH OR DINNER
Legislative involvement is close to home at your MNEA
legislative brunch or dinner. The event is a great opportunity
to visit with local area legislators and hear a legislative
briefing. The Columbia legislative dinner is today,
January 8.
Area
legislative brunch schedule:
Columbia
Jan. 8, 2009
St. Charles Feb. 26, 2009
Kansas City Feb. 28, 2009
Jefferson County Mar. 7, 2009
St. Louis Mar. 21, 2009
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