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Legislative Wrapup
March 23, 2011
Dear Neighbors and Friends –
The 2011 Legislative Session came to a close on Thursday, March 10th, at midnight. It was quite a session! In addition to legislators creating a balanced state budget, we considered over 1100 bills. These covered issues relating to public and higher education, public safety, business and economic development, health and human services, transportation, revenue and taxation, immigration, natural resources, public utilities, political subdivisions and government operations.
I am pleased to let you know that the bills I sponsored passed. These include:
- Senate Bill 38 — K-3 Reading Amendments
This bill requires schools to send notices to parents of first, second and third grade students who are struggling with reading, no later than February 15th in each school year. - Senate Bill 48 – Alzheimer’s State Plan Task Force
This bill establishes an Alzheimer’s State Plan Task Force within the Division of Aging and Adult Services to study ways to help prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease among Utah’s aging population. - Senate Bill 63 – K-3 Reading Improvement Program Accountability
This bill requires local schools and school districts to account for and report on how they are spending K-3 reading improvement dollars.
I also helped to secure funding for the following needs and services:
Growth in public education, K-3 reading improvement services, school library books, arts and science programs, playground facilities for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind, higher education satellite campuses, prisons and public safety, transportation, the World Trade Center Utah, the Business Centers for Excellence, Baby Watch/Early Intervention programs and domestic violence shelters.
You may be hearing a lot in the news about House Bill 477, a bill regarding public access to government records. The Governor has called a special session of the legislature this Friday, March 25th, to repeal this bill. I support the repeal and will be voting in favor. In fact, I opposed the bill from the beginning and voted against it twice during the legislative session.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in the Utah Senate! Thanks to all of you who contacted me or responded to my online survey. Please feel free to contact me at any time with your views or concerns.
Best wishes,
Karen
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From Capitol Hill – Week #7
March 9, 2011
Dear Neighbors and Friends,
Hello again from Capitol Hill! We are now in the final days of the legislative session. Things are moving fast, and I am pleased with what we have been able to accomplish.
The state budget is nearly complete. I am happy to report that revenues are up and Utah’s economy has turned the corner. As a result, deep cuts proposed at the beginning of the session to public education, public safety and social services are now unnecessary.
The education enrollment growth of the 14,700 new students who will be entering our schools this fall has been funded. The K-3 Reading Improvement Program, which includes reading specialists and reading interventions for struggling children, has been protected. In fact, additional funding for reading assessments has been added to this program. Funding for books and materials in our school libraries will also continue.
It was originally feared that cuts to the Department of Corrections would require the early release of hundreds of prisoners. This will not be necessary.
A package of bills regarding illegal immigration passed last Friday. This included legislation on enforcement, employer verification requirements, sanctions, and a guest worker program. I supported each of these bills, because I believe that it is necessary to address this issue in a positive way that protects the legal citizens of our state. Nothing in any of these bills granted amnesty.
Unfortunately, a bill which restricts public access to legislative information, passed the full legislature and was signed by the governor. I opposed and voted against HB 477, because I believe openness and transparency in government are crucial in our democratic society.
Please watch for my upcoming legislative wrap-up, where I will send you more details regarding the final decisions of the 2011 legislative session.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in the Utah Senate! Please feel free to contact me at any time with your views or concerns.
Best wishes,
Karen
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HB 477
I would like my constituents to know that I voted against HB 477, and I support its immediate recall or a veto by the Governor. I believe openness and transparency in government are crucial in our democratic society. I recommend that the legislature review the current procedures used in GRAMA requests to determine if and what should be changed or streamlined. This examination should be done in a fully open process with input from legislative staff, the media and the public.
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From Capitol Hill – Week #6
March 2, 2011
Dear Neighbors and Friends:
Hi again from Capitol Hill! We are now in the 6th week of the 2011 legislative session. Thanks so much to all of you who continue to contact me regarding a wide variety of bills. I really appreciate your input and expertise on these issues.
Much of my time is now being spent finalizing the state budget. The good news is that revenues are up and our economy is stabilizing. Utah has turned a corner and is headed in a positive direction. This means the 7% cuts required by majority leadership in the early days of the session, which I opposed and voted against, will not be necessary. These are my highest budget priorities:
- The enrollment growth in our public schools of 14,700 new students must be funded, along with K-3 reading improvement programs, library books, teacher salaries, supplies and other vital education services.
- I am working to make sure that our most vulnerable citizens, including the elderly and those with disabilities, receive the special help that they need.
- I have helped to protect funding for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind and the Baby Watch/Early Intervention Programs.
- I have prioritized more funding for the Utah Highway Patrol and the Department of Corrections to ensure greater public safety.
- I value higher education. I am working to make sure that our colleges and universities are adequately funded so that tuition increases will not be necessary. I extend my congratulations to my alma mater, the University of Utah, in the celebration of their 161st birthday this week.
There are proposals working their way through the legislature that would increase the sales tax on food and gasoline. I adamantly oppose these measures. I do no believe that raising taxes is necessary or the right thing to do.
Several bills dealing with illegal immigration are being considered. I am currently reviewing each one to determine how to best represent the citizens of our district on this very important issue. I appreciate all of the phone calls and emails from so many of you.
I am excited to let you know about a Financial Literacy Education Resolution which I supported. At the heart of this new statewide campaign is the “Believe in Your Future” website. I encourage you to visit www.believeinyourfuture.org and check it out.
Thanks to all of you who have taken my online survey. If you haven’t had a chance yet, it’s not too late. Please visit my website at www.karenmorgan.org and click on the Survey button.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in the Utah Senate! Please feel free to contact me at any time with your views or concerns.
Best wishes,
Karen
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From Capitol Hill – Week #5
February 23, 2011
Dear Neighbors and Friends –
Hi from the hill! We are now in week 5 of the 2011 legislative session. Thanks so much to all of you have contacted me regarding a wide variety of bills. I really appreciate your input and expertise on these issues.
We received great news yesterday. Revenues are up and the economy is stabilizing. Utah has turned a corner and we are now headed in a positive direction. Recent data from the Utah Department of Workforce Services notes the addition of 15,300 net new jobs (up 1.3%) during 2010. Our employment growth estimate for 2011 is 1.4%.
I am spending a great deal of time working on the education budget to protect vital programs and services in our schools. With the new revenue estimates, I am hoping that we will be able to fully fund education growth, the 14,700 new students who will be coming into the school system this fall. I am also making sure to make sure the K-3 reading program is fully funded.
I recently announced my support of SJR9, a bill which seeks to amend the state constitution to place public and higher education under the Executive Branch. Please click here to read my press release.
Several immigration bills are working their way through the legislature and will be making their way to the Senate soon. I understand how important these issues are to the citizens of our community and state. I am studying each individual bill thoroughly to decide how to best represent the citizens of Senate District 8.
Thanks to all of you who have taken my online Survey. If you have not had a chance yet, please visit my website at www.karenmorgan.org and click on the Survey button.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in the Utah Senate! Please feel free to contact me at any time with your views or concerns.
Best wishes,
Karen
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Senator Karen Morgan supports measure to shift control of Education to the Governor’s office
From the Office of Senator Karen Morgan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Emily Bingham Hollingshead
Chief of Staff to Senator Karen Morgan, Utah State Senate
Ph: 435.590.9961
emily.hollingshead@gmail.com
Senator Karen Morgan supports measure to shift control of Education to the Governor’s office
SALT LAKE CITY, February 23, 2011 –Senator Karen Morgan, D—Cottonwood Heights announced her support of SJR9 today, a bill which seeks to amend the state constitution to place public and higher education under the Executive Branch. Early last week, Morgan signed on as a co-sponsor of the Resolution.
Citing her “Best Schools Initiative,” Senator Morgan voted in favor of the measure, explaining that this change would enhance the governance of our public education system. “The states which rank highest in student achievement – Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, Vermont, New Hampshire, Florida, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Montana – have education systems which are managed by the Executive Branch within their state’s government. Utah’s schools currently rank 30th for student achievement. This is unacceptable. It’s time to advance from a State Office of Education to a State Department of Education with a Superintendent or a Commissioner sitting on the Governor’s Cabinet. I believe this will really strengthen the public school system in our state,” she said.
“By putting education under the office of the Governor, we will have a balance of power between the Legislative Branch and the Executive Branch. With this Resolution, we show that we are serious about education reform aimed at improving student achievement in our state. This first step also has the potential to help us meet many of our other educational goals, including smaller class sizes and better pay for teachers,” she said.
Senator Morgan has been a long time advocate of improving Utah’s schools, and this legislative session announced her “Best Schools Initiative” which seeks to make Utah’s schools #1 in the nation in student achievement. “For many years we have been working to make sure that Utah is #1 in business, tourism, and economic development, that Utah is # 1 in science, technology and research. It’s time now to make sure that Utah is #1 in student achievement. Utah should have the very best schools in the nation,” said Senator Morgan in a statement.
In order to take effect, SJR9 would ultimately have to pass both the House and Senate by a two-thirds majority. The proposed constitutional change would then be put to voters in the 2012 general election.
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Posted in Public Education
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From Capitol Hill – Week #4
February 16, 2011
Dear Neighbors and Friends,
We are now in the fourth week of the legislative session. We are at the halfway point, and things are moving fast.
I wrote an op-ed piece that was published in last Saturday’s Deseret News. Protecting funding for our public schools is vital. I continue to oppose the deep cuts of $257 million to education that have been proposed, and I am working to restore these critical dollars. To read the article, click here.
Senate Bill 48, my Alzheimer’s State Plan task Force legislation, has passed the Senate and is now awaiting a vote in the House. Alzheimer’s Disease has become a health care crisis. Utah has the highest percentage of growth in the nation. This task force will create a state plan to find ways to prevent or delay the onset of this debilitating disease and examine existing and potential resources for the ill and their caregivers.
In the following weeks, the legislature will be passing a final budget for 2011. My priority will continue to be protecting funding for Utah’s schools, protecting services for our most vulnerable citizens, and working with my colleagues to make responsible decisions regarding our tax dollars.
Thanks to all of you who have taken my online Survey. If you have not had a chance yet, please visit my website at www.karenmorgan.organd click on the Survey button.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in the Utah Senate! Please feel free to contact me at any time with your views or concerns.
Best wishes,
Karen
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Senator Karen Morgan: Legislature’s cuts to education are unnecessary, and will hurt kids
By Sen. Karen Morgan
Published in the Deseret News: Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011 12:00 a.m. MST
Currently, Utah’s schools rank 30th in the nation in student achievement. This is unacceptable. For many years, we have been working to make sure that Utah is No. 1 in business, economic development and tourism, that Utah is No. 1 in science, technology and research. It’s time for Utah to be No. 1 in student achievement. Our schools should be the very best in the nation.
Utah needs smaller class sizes and better pay for teachers. We need to make sure that every child can read on grade level by the end of third grade and that all children have basic math skills before leaving elementary school. All students deserve the opportunity to develop lifelong skills and reach their fullest potential.
The Utah Legislature recently passed a preliminary education budget that cuts $257 million from Utah’s schools. These cuts are unnecessary and include vital programs and services such as teachers, school buses, arts programs, library books and Utah’s essential K-3 Reading Improvement Program. This program provides reading specialists, tutors and interventions for children who are struggling with reading. I adamantly oppose these deep cuts, which will irreparably limit the opportunities of Utah’s children and damage the economic future of our state.
Reading is the foundation of learning. Basic reading skills are vital to a child’s educational success. It’s sobering to note that future prison populations are projected by the number of students who cannot read on grade level by the end of the third grade. Sixty percent of prison inmates are illiterate, and 86 percent of juvenile offenders have reading problems. If a child doesn’t have basic reading skills by the end of the third grade, he or she falls into a downward spiral. Data shows that the vast majority never catch up. Children learn to read from Kindergarten through the third grade but read to learn from the fourth grade on. If children can’t read, they can’t succeed.
A well-educated workforce drives a strong economy. In order for our state’s economy to grow, it is important that we have a top quality educational system. You can help. Read with a child 20 minutes a day. Volunteer at your local school. Help students with their homework. Share this message with your family and friends. We all must work together to make Utah’s schools No. 1 in the nation.
Throughout the history of our state, education has been a high priority, even during the hardest of times. We must continue this strong tradition.
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