back to current report
January 22, 2010
The second year of the 106th General Assembly began with Governor Bredesen’s special session which focused on education for K-12 and higher education. We anticipate the special session will adjourn this week since the Governor’s proposals passed. K-12 legislation enabled the state Department of Education to meet an important January 19th deadline to submit a “Race to the Top” grant application which has the potential to provide millions of dollars in extra federal funding for public schools.
One key, central provision called for the “number of students who graduate” rather than the “number enrolled” be the basic criteria upon which Tennessee’s colleges and universities are funded. The majority of legislators hailed the "outcomes-based" funding plan and agreed the focus should be on students finishing college and receiving degrees.
The education bill also mandated course credits can be transferred between state colleges and universities. It assures that graduates of 2-year community colleges are accepted at 4-year institutions. It eliminates remedial education classes at 4-year schools. The bill further established the new graduate program at UT. It will use researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory as faculty and the state will provide $6.2 million in funding to start this program.
Once the “special session” adjourns, the General Assembly will be back to its regular legislative session beginning with committee meetings. Bills of significant interest to the Caucus were introduced including the perennial “split the baby” mandatory joint custody bills. If passed, MJC has potential for considerable harm to children.
Legislation affecting child support and visitation mandates got in the hopper. The Caucus will be working with the Tennessee Bar Association and the Department of Human Services to gain a comprehensive understanding of the prospective negative impact these bills would impart on families and children.
There are two bills related to pregnancy termination. They would impose restrictions on any state insurance exchange that could be established by passage of federal health insurance reform. If passed, coverage for terminating a pregnancy would be excluded from these policies.
It is noteworthy to point out that the state budget is a huge factor – any bill with a significant fiscal note will undergo major scrutiny. This is also an election year – the Governor, all of the House and odd-numbered Senate seats are up for grabs in November (the primaries are in August).
The Caucus will keep you informed as the regular session proceeds. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions or would like additional information.
Respectfully,
Andrea Dunn, VP-Legislation
TWPC & NWPC
Archive of past reports:
Final 2009 Legislative Report
|
