05/05/1999 02:02 PM House FIN

HOUSE BILL NO. 85                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
"An Act relating to licensure and professional                                                                                  
discipline of members of the teaching profession and                                                                            
providing for related penalties; relating to grounds                                                                            
for dismissal of a teacher; relating to the                                                                                     
Professional Teaching Practices Commission; relating to                                                                         
limited immunity for procedures under the Educator                                                                              
Ethics Act; making conforming amendments; and providing                                                                         
for an effective date."                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative J. Davies MOVED to ADOPT Amendment 1 (copy on                                                                    
file). Co-Chair Therriault OBJECTED for the purpose of                                                                          
discussion.  Amendment 1 would add "person's" on line 19,                                                                       
page 7. Representative J. Davies spoke in support of the                                                                        
amendment.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
THERESA WILLIAMS, DEPARTMENT OF LAW stated that the                                                                             
Department of Law did not object to the amendment.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Therriault WITHDREW his objections to the adoption                                                                     
of Amendment 1. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Foster MOVED to report CSHB 85 (FIN) out of                                                                      
Committee with the accompanying fiscal note.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Williams referred to page 9. He questioned if                                                                    
there were concerns regarding this section.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
JOHN CYR, PRESIDENT, NEA-ALASKA expressed concern with                                                                          
subsection (f) on page 9. He emphasized that the Commission                                                                     
acts as a body and comes to decisions in a fair and                                                                             
impartial manner. Subsection (f) gives administrators                                                                           
another level of appeal that teachers do not have. He spoke                                                                     
in favor of retaining an equal playing field.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Williams stated that the Department of Law does not have                                                                    
a position on subsection (f). She noted that the language                                                                       
was a 1968 concession to the Association of School                                                                              
Administrators acknowledging that there are a majority of                                                                       
teachers on the Commission.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
There being NO OBJECTION, CSHB 85 (FIN) was moved from                                                                          
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CSHB 85 (FIN) was REPORTED out of Committee with "no                                                                            
recommendation" and a zero fiscal note by the Department of                                                                     
Education.