education
Maryland college students and an immigrant services group are going to court in defense of a state law that would grant in-state tuition to illegal immigrants. Opponents of the law have launched a petition drive that will put the law on the ballot in 2012 for voters to decide. Because the petition drive was certified by the state elections board, the law has yet to take effect.
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New Mexico’s teacher’s union is circulating a petition to protest an increase in their personal pension contributions. Pension contributions increased by 1.5% this year in an attempt to solve state budgetary problems. The union has suggested raising taxes on New Mexico workers to pay for the pension increase.
Last month California voters weighed in on - and largely rejected - a series of ballot measures that lawmakers claimed would fix the state’s budget. Among those rejected was Proposition 1B which would have funneled $7.1 billion to school funding. Even though the plan was rejected by 2/3 of voters, it looks like the state legislature wants to go ahead and do it anyway.
House lawmakers narrowly rejected a bill to repeal Maine’s controversial school-district consolidation law Wednesday but approved a separate measure granting communities a one-year reprieve from penalties if they fail to reorganize.
By voting against the repeal, the House effectively opted to place the issue in voters’ hands during a statewide referendum on school-district consolidation this November. A citizen initiative to repeal the law already has been filed with state election officials.
The Florida House voted to send an amendment to voters that would allow flexability to class-size mandates passed by voters in 2002. As a constitutional amendment, the bill must pass both chambers by a three-fifths vote and then get 60% voter approval. The bill must now pass the state Senate to make it on the 2010 ballot.
California’s Superintendant of Schools said Wednesday that he may sue the state for more funding if a ballot measure fails on May 19. Proposition 1B, part of a package of measures dealing with the state’s budget crisis, would give over $9 billion in funding for schools. The funds would be created by Proposition 1A, but both measures must pass for schools to get the money.
A group attempting to recall four members of the Board of Education have secured Dodge County’s first-ever recall application. The group leading the recall has 15 days to collect signatures and then must reappear before a judge.
The Missouri Legislature is considering rewriting parts of a voter-approved ballot measure on casinos in order to distribute money generated for public education. The ballot measure, passed by voters last year, created new taxes on casinos but did not provide a proper method to distribute those tax dollars to Missouri schools. Lawmakers have come up with varying proposals on what to do with the money.