Budget holds center court for Legislature
This week the House of Representatives concurred with the conference committee’s deliberations on the budget.
This budget significantly reduces state funding of education to the minimum level acceptable to receive any kind of federal funding for education, such as Title I funding. This budget reduces the state funding for Medicaid and a wide spectrum of healthcare services to the minimum level required to be eligible for the minimum level of federal match dollars.
Rural areas will be hard hit with the reduction in funding for Federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural Hospital Grants, Wellvista and Free Medical Clinics and the absence of funding to maintain the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families that will no longer be funded through a federal source.
Many of these cuts were made to rectify a shortfall in fees experienced by the Judicial Department, the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Natural Resources. I will report in more detail on the budget if the Governor vetoes a portion or all of the budget and the Legislature sustains the Governor’s veto.
Below, please find a report on the bills acted upon by the House of Representatives in the past week. The House is furloughed this upcoming week so there will not be a report until June 18.
The General Assembly approved S.288, a bill requiring Markings on Driver’s Licenses Indicating Violent Crime Convictions.
When a person is convicted of or pleads guilty or no contest to certain violent crimes, the person must surrender his license or special identification card to the DMV by mail or in person. If the person fails to do so, the driver’s license or special identification card is considered cancelled. Under this bill, a person convicted of these crimes must have a special code affixed to the reverse side of his driver’s license or special identification card that identifies the person as having been convicted of a violent crime.
The Senate and the House of Representatives overrode the Governor’s veto on S.1363 to allow the bill to become law.
The legislation provides for the Limitation of the National Board Certification Program for Teachers with its state salary stipends for nationally certified teachers. The legislation provides that teachers who are certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) prior to July 1, 2010, shall receive an increase in pay for the initial 10‑year National Board certification and no more than one 10‑year renewal of National Board certification. Teachers receiving national certification from the NBPTS on or after July 1, 2010, shall only receive an annual increase in pay for the initial 10 years of the certification. Only teachers who apply for certification prior to July 1, 2010, may receive a loan for the application fee.
The General Assembly approved H.4202, relating to Criminal Penalties for Trafficking in Persons for Forced Labor or Services.
The legislation provides penalty enhancements for trafficking in persons including designating the offense as a violent crime, a Class A felony, and a “most serious offense.” The legislation also establishes conditions when trafficking in persons may be considered an aggravating circumstance that warrants more stringent penalties.
