Today HB2313 reported from the House Finance Committee on a 14 to 8 vote.
I am all for
fixing Virginia’s transportation problem, but not by reducing the General Fund
which funds schools, health, public safety and other core services.
HB 2313 will
transfer $811.5 million in General Fund Revenue to the Highway Maintenance
Operating Fund over the next five years.
Approximately 30% of the General
Fund now goes to public education, so it appears that $243.45 million less will
be available for our schools over these five years.
It is hard
to understand eliminating the gas tax when we need more funds for transportation,
and then taking funds from schools to fund transportation. That is what this bill does.
We need
more, not less funding for our schools.
Virginia currently ranks 35th in the nation in state per-pupil
funding for public education. We are
running our schools on less now that we had in 2007-2008. This is no time to shrink General Fund
revenues.
I urge you
to send a message to your delegate urging a vote against HB 2313. To do so, click here.
HB 1999, a bill to
give schools grades, A-F, was reported from the House Education Committee
despite opposition from VEA, VSBA, VASS and the VA PTA. The last thing the schools in Virginia’s
poorest neighborhoods, where the job of teaching is most challenging and
resources are in short supply, is an F from the state. Would any of you care to give the Virginia
legislature a grade on support for public education?
House Ed also reported a bill with noble intent and unintended
consequences. HB 2028 means to prevent
student deaths related to heart failure; however, the bill requires that “Every person
seeking initial licensure or renewal of a license shall provide evidence of
completion of certification or training in emergency first aid,
cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the use of automated external defibrillators.” One more hoop! If we are going to do this, shouldn’t it be
required in-service unrelated to licensure?
