First, Senator Janet Howell's SB52, a bill to establish a
mechanism to facilitate refinancing of student debt, was carried over for a
year. Hopefully in the year ahead
legislators will work together to come up with a plan to reduce the burden of
student debt for college graduates who come into low paying jobs such as
teaching. Delegate Simon’s House bills
on the same issue , HB400 and HB401, were carried over later in the afternoon
in House Commerce and Labor Subcommittee #2.
VEA initiated SB660, sponsored by Senator Barbara Favola,
reported from the Senate Committee on Education and Health Subcommittee on
Public Education. This bill is intended
to ensure that the hearing officer in teacher dismissal cases is impartial. The
vote is yet to be posted. It was amended
to remove all language relating to the appointment of the hearing officer and
retaining the language guarding against nepotism. A half a loaf is better than none. This bill will be heard by the full committee
on Thursday.
The Lobby Day weather forecast is improving – 68F and sunny.
