The Senate
Education and Health Committee had a long agenda filled with controversial
measures in both the education and health realms. Delegate Stuarts SB532, the diabetes bill is
still problematic, but as a result of help from Senator Martin it is less so.
The bill
would have required instructional aides and clerical personnel to give glucagon
injections. If they refused to do so
they could be disciplined or dismissed. We
delineated the eight steps in the procedure to the committee, and Senator
Martin moved an amendment to address our concern. The bill, as reported 14-1, still has some
problematic elements, but this most worrisome provision has been removed.
We want the
needs of diabetic children addressed, but making it mandatory that all instructional
aides and clerical personnel be required to give injections is not the answer.
The same
committee reported Delegate Rust’s HB 977, the bill that will allow a teacher
more time to determine whether or not to appeal a dismissal, was reportedunanimously.
On the House
floor today, Delegate McClellan’s HB 720 reported on a strong 87-9 vote. This is the lactation support bill
(#expressyourself). We thank Delegate
McClellan for her hard work. Now this
bill goes to the Senate.
The Elementary
and Secondary Education Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee reported
(6-0) a very flawed virtual school bill, Dickie Bell’s HB 324, which creates a
stand-alone virtual school that students can enroll in instead of attending
their local public school.
Finally, the
House Appropriations Compensation and Retirement Subcommittee failed to report
Joseph Yost’s HB 463, Statewide Health Insurance, despite the efforts of
Delegates Yost and Kilgore. There was
broad support for the bill, and no opposition, but the bill died for lack of a
motion. This one hurt!
