Bad Deeds for 6-5-2011

 

Republicans Continue Their Attack on Public Education in Texas – Rep. Rob Eissler, Republican of The Woodlands, is trying to pass his package of bad policy ideas in piecemeal fashion during the special session that began May 31. His own HB 18 reprises his attempt to turn the 22-to-1 class-size cap per classroom in grades K-4 into a meaningless district-wide average. Under his bill, districts also would be able just to post a notice that they have exceeded the new limit on their Web site, dispensing with the current requirement of individual notice to parents of children affected.)

HB 19 by Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock, Republican of Killeen, would deprive educators of a hearing in front of an impartial, independent hearing examiner when faced with a mid-contract termination of their employment because of a declaration of “financial exigency” by their school district. The bill actually goes further, altering the non-renewal process for all educators on term contracts. School districts, instead of hearing contested non-renewal cases themselves, could hire outside attorneys to conduct non-renewal hearings with lesser procedural safeguards than under current law.

HB 20 by Rep. Dan Huberty, Republican of Humble, would change the deadline for notice of non-renewal to 15 days before the last day of instruction in a school year. Current law requires 45 days advance notice. Huberty, Eissler, and other Republicans on the committee brushed aside testimony that showed there’s good reason for the current 45-day requirement, which gives teachers time to find alternative employment if they are non-renewed and serves districts’ needs as well. By giving most teachers an early assurance of continued employment, this law helps assure districts of a stable workforce for the coming year and eliminates anxiety and distraction for teachers during crucial spring months of the school year.

HB 21 by Rep. Mark Shelton, Republican of Fort Worth, would permanently take away seniority-based protection in layoff situations for teachers whose districts have chosen to give them continuing contracts as an incentive to stay with the district. The legislature by this action would adversely change the terms of these experienced teachers’ contract after the fact. This is a clear invitation to focus layoffs on a district’s most senior and highly paid teachers. As Texas AFT and other witnesses noted, legal precedent indicates any such attempt at retroactively changing an important feature of existing continuing contracts on the basis of new legislation would be overturned by Texas courts. But the majority on this committee was hell-bent on doing it anyway.

All four bills were passed immediately, with all Republicans on the committee in support and only Democratic members dissenting. Meanwhile, a separate piece of the failed Eissler legislation from the regular session, attacking state salary standards for educators, will be heard in a different committee on Monday. That bill is HB 17 by Rep. Bill Callegari, Republican of Katy. (For good measure, the same committee will hear a recycled private-school voucher plan that failed in the regular session. The voucher bill is HB 33 by Rep. Sid Miller, Republican of Stephenville.)

The Texas Senate passed implementing legislation to enforce $4 billion in cuts to state aid to school districts on Friday evening. It was a straight party-line vote with all 19 Republicans voting to cut public school funding, and all 12 Democrats against cutting our schools.

 

Republicans Choose to Hurt Kids’ Education Rather Than Eliminate Tax Exemptions for Corporations and the Rich – As the Texas Senate took up a plan for cutting $4 billion from what public schools would receive under current law, Democrats again fought to add more money to education by eliminating tax exemptions.

Sen Wendy Davis, Fort Worth Democrat, lofted a favorite target for elimination: a break for high-cost gas, which she said would yield $1.2 billion for Texas. Before it was tabled 18-12 (with one present, not voting), Davis said, “By saying ‘no’ to an amendment like this, we are saying to the community of Texas, we are saying to the school children and the schoolteachers of Texas that our priorities are to continue to allow corporate tax exemptions … We are going to prioritize creating and allowing and extending exemptions like this over the interest of funding public education in Texas.”

The Senate by the same vote tabled a modified version of the proposal by Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, that would have eliminated what he calls the “high-cost gas loophole” if the price of gas reached $6.50 per mcf for a three-month stretch. Citing figures that indicated this was unlikely to happen, Ellis called it a “very conservative” way to send the message that “we value the education of our chldren above a tax break.”

Sen. Mario Gallegos, D-Houston, offered an amendment to reinstate the inheritance tax that was torpedoed 19-12. He said his proposal only would affect 1,000 Texans and while he didn’t have an updated revenue estimate, the last one that was done showed the state could get $236 million.

 

Private Prisons Profit by Getting Laws Changed So they Can Lock Up More Immigrants – Immigrants are for sale in this country; sold to private prison corporations who are locking them up for obscene profits!

Here are the top 3 things YOU need to know about the Private Prison money scheme:

* The victims: Private prisons don’t care about who they lock up. At a rate of $200 per immigrant a night at their prisons, this is a money making scheme that destroys families and lives.

* The players: CCA (Corrections Corporation of America), The Geo Group and Management and Training corporations—combined these private prisons currently profit more than $5 billion a year.

* The money: These private prisons have spent over $20 million lobbying state legislators to make sure they get state anti-immigrant laws approved and ensure access to more immigrant inmates.
Watch the video.

 

Republican Florida Governor Signs Law That Makes It Illegal for a Doctor to Discuss Gun Safety – Republican Florida Governor Rick Scott signed a law threatening doctors — including pediatricians — with the loss of their jobs if they talk with families about the risks of a gun in the home or offer advice on gun safety. The Florida law subjects doctors to possible sanctions, including fines and even loss of their license, just for discussing life-saving firearm safety with a patient if the doctor’s comments are later found to be “not relevant” or “unnecessarily harassing.” Over 40% of gun-owning households with children store their guns unlocked, and in one quarter of these homes the guns stored loaded.

This law blocks doctors from fulfilling their obligations to promote health. Politicians taking orders from the gun lobby have no business telling doctors and patients what they are permitted to discuss in the privacy of a doctor’s office.

 

Remember when?
Remember when teachers, public employees, Planned Parenthood, NPR and PBS crashed the stock market, wiped half of our 401Ks, took trillions in taxpayer-funded bailouts, spilled oil in the Gulf of Mexico, gave themselves billions in bonuses and paid no taxes? Me neither.
— C. J. Farley, President, Bay Area New Democrats

Regards,

Jim