Call Your PA Reps

Written by: Kevin Shaw on Jan 30, 2008 9:20 AM EST

The Pennsylvania School Board Assocoation asks that you please call your PA Reps!

Statewide health care and temporary development moratorium bills to be
considered

Your calls to House members are needed immediately!

(Click Read More for the rest of this post)

Please contact your House members and ask that they support House Bill
904 for the following reasons:

* Recognizes the negative effects of school overcrowding. Rapid residential development combined with schools that already have insufficient classroom space can quickly lead to overcrowded facilities and overwhelmed teachers. Poor physical surroundings can seriously hinder student learning and performance, increase the rate of absenteeism, and decrease the rate of teacher retention. It is in
the best economic and social interest of the municipality to factor in the effect of development on the local school districts when considering a temporary moratorium ordinance.

* Invites school districts into the municipal planning process. Educational services are as essential to the public's well-being as those maintained by other local entities, such as police and fire departments and utility companies. Nevertheless, the needs of the local school districts are often ignored when deciding on development issues - a disconnect often cited as one of the primary factors behind the growing schools problem. By including districts in the definition of essential public services and requiring action to be considered
when schools reach overcapacity, this bill bridges the gap between districts and their municipalities.


On the House Floor:

The full House is scheduled to consider House Bill 904, sponsored by Representative Bob Freeman (D-Northampton), perhaps as early as today. House Bill 904 would allow municipalities to implement temporary development moratoriums in order to permit enactment or revision of a comprehensive plan, a subdivision and land development ordinance or a zoning ordinance. The moratorium would not be permitted o exceed one year and developers would have the opportunity to apply for waivers from the moratorium.

The bill requires municipalities to permit providers of essential public facilities, including school districts, an opportunity to present evidence in response to the waiver request at the appropriate hearing. Municipalities must also provide their districts with at least 7 days notice of a waiver hearing, and notify the districts within 7 days of approving a waiver.

Also: In the House Education Committee:

On January 30, the House Education Committee is scheduled to consider House Bill 1841, the statewide health care legislation sponsored by Reps. Dan Surra (D-Elk) and Steve Nickol (R-York). This legislation would require that all schools districts, with the exception of Philadelphia, participate in a statewide health care program. House Bill 1841 creates a 12-member Health Care Trust Board, consisting of 4 Commonwealth representatives, 4 PSBA representatives, nd 4 PSEA representatives. The Board would have the authority to:

• Conduct a study of current school employee health care offerings statewide
• Develop a statewide plan of health care coverage for school employees;
• Determine the standard benefits package and benefit options;
• Determine the overall per-employee cost of the standard benefits package to the Trust Fund;
• Determine the total amount of contributions by the Commonwealth, public school entities and school employees.

Decisions made by the Board when exercising these powers will require a "qualified majority vote," with at least 2 members from each represented group voting in the affirmative. Most importantly, the current version of the bill allows the newly-created Board to conduct the study and proceed with its findings all the way through to implementation. The Board would be required to hold 3 public hearings statewide and submit the proposed plan to the House and Senate Education Committees for comment; however, neither of these actions could actually halt the implementation of the plan.

If your local State representative sits on the House Education committee (click here for a complete list), please call them and request that they support the O'Neill Amendment (A4174) to HB 1841.

The O'Neill Amendment would limit the proposal to the following:

• creating the Employees Benefit Board;
• providing for a study of current health care programs; and
• allowing the board to develop a proposed program of statewide health care benefits or an alternative measures program.

The amendment would prevent implementation of any plan developed by the board unless separate enabling legislation were introduced and approved by the General Assembly.

The Pennsylvania School Board Assocoation believes this amendment is necessary because:

1. The amendment allows the board to make decisions on things such as plan participation and eligibility, plan development and other important items based on information to be gathered by the study; information that is not available now.

2. The amendment offers greater transparency and opportunities to the taxpayers, school entities and the general assembly to view the proposed plan before it is implemented.

3. As currently drafted, only the legislators who are members of the House and Senate Education Committees would have a review of the plan before implementation. The amendment would allow review by all legislators. Because this bill will affect taxpayers and constituents of all legislators, they should all have an opportunity for review.

4. The amendment would resolve any questions of constitutionality, specifically regarding delegation of powers

5. The amendment would constitute a significant move forward on this issue that would be widely applauded with little or no controversy, and, just as importantly, with a relatively modest expenditure of funds.

6. The results of the study will create a united front wherein school entities, school employees and the commonwealth will be able to justify their support, ease the concerns of their constituent members and taxpayers and successfully minimize opposition from groups with a vested interest in the status quo.

Please email or call the members of the House Education Committee and voice your
support for the O'Neill Amendment.

If you have any questions, please contact Tim Allwein, Beth Winters,
or Kelli Thompson at (717) 506-2450.

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