02/06/2002 08:03 AM House EDU

                                                                                                                                
HB 211-FOUNDATION FORMULA INCREASE                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Number 2386                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BUNDE announced the next  order of business, HOUSE BILL NO.                                                               
211,  "An Act  requiring an  annual inflation  adjustment of  the                                                               
base student allocation used in  the formula for state funding of                                                               
public education; and providing for an effective date."                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
TAPE 02-4, SIDE B                                                                                                               
Number 2400                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GUESS, sponsor of  HB 211, drew members' attention                                                               
to  Amendment 1,  noting that  it  simply makes  HB 211  current.                                                               
Amendment 1 reads [original punctuation provided]:                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 6, Delete [$3,940], Insert $4010                                                                        
     Page 1, line 10, Delete [1999], Insert 2000                                                                          
     Page 1, line 11, Delete [2001], Insert 2002                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON  moved to adopt  Amendment 1.   There being                                                               
no objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GUESS stated  her intent  to move  HB 211  out of                                                               
committee with  members' concurrence.   She expressed  her belief                                                               
that HB  211 is good  education policy by  inflation-proofing the                                                               
Foundation  Formula.   She  expressed her  desire  for the  House                                                               
Finance  Committee  to  debate  whether HB  211  is  good  fiscal                                                               
policy; she believes it is.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Number 2359                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WILSON commented  that  she approves  of HB  211.                                                               
She noted  that per-pupil  funding in  Wrangell has  decreased in                                                               
the  last 11  years, while  inflation during  that period  was 35                                                               
percent.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Number 2301                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BUNDE asked for clarification on the inflation figure.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON  responded that  this figure  resulted from                                                               
adding the state's annual inflation rate over those 11 years.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  BUNDE noted  that school  funding during  the 1980s  might                                                               
have  been   an  excessive   figure  on   which  to   base  these                                                               
calculations.     He  expressed  his  opinion   that  should  the                                                               
legislature spend  any additional money  this year, it  should be                                                               
in education;  he said, however,  that he thought this  money had                                                               
already been spent.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JOULE  moved  to  report CSHB  211  [HB  211,  as                                                               
amended]  out of  committee with  individual recommendations  and                                                               
the accompanying fiscal notes.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BUNDE objected.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
A roll  call vote  was taken.   Representatives  Wilson, Stevens,                                                               
Joule, Guess, and  Porter voted to move the  bill from committee.                                                               
Representative Bunde voted against  it.  Therefore, CSHB 211(EDU)                                                               
was moved  out of the House  Special Committee on Education  by a                                                               
vote of 5-1.