CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ON HB 3395

June 4, 2001 Hearing Room C

3:30 PM Tapes 1 – 2

MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. Vic Backlund, Chair

Rep. Elaine Hopson

Rep. Cliff Zauner

Sen. Susan Castillo

Sen. Bill Fisher

Sen. Charles Starr

MEMBER EXCUSED:

STAFF PRESENT: Janet Adkins, Committee Administrator

Paula Merritt, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: HB 3395B Work Session

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 1, A
004	Chair Backlund	Calls the committee to order at 3:38 p.m. and opens a work session on HB 3395B.
HB 3395B WORK SESSION
005	Janet Adkins	Committee Administrator. Explains HB 3395B and the -5 amendments (EXHIBIT A).
036	Sen. Fisher	Comments on page 2 of the bill, capitalization of the State Board of Education.
046	Cindy Hunt	Legislative Counsel. Explains that it would be added on to section 2 under cost, and this is not a problem.
058	Sen. Starr	Comments that he would like the measure left "as is".
075	Rep. Zauner	Comments on the reason for this change.
078	Adkins	Responds that the Senate did not take out the language, they narrowed the ability of the school district and charter school as to what they could waive and took out personnel requirements and transportation requirements.
094	Lori Wimmer Whalen	Oregon Education Association. Explains that the language was too broad and this is the macro policy. Explains that they do have consensus in the community.
113	Sen. Fisher	Asks if there were representatives in other areas.
120	Chair Backlund	Recalls looking at this and realizing that it was so broad that local school boards could waive things that applied to laws at the local level. Explains that they thought it should be narrowed.
137	Rep. Hopson	Concurs and agrees that they are susceptible to law suits but this will avoid those suits.
148	Sen. Fisher	Feels that this will do away with local control.
167	Sen. Castillo	Comments that this will allow us to stay true to the charter school bill and agreement was reached at that time as to what was waiveable.
170	Sen. Fisher	Comments that he may have been out during these discussions and asks who brought forward. Reads from the bill.
220	Adkins	Refers to section 4.
222	Sen. Starr	States that he wants to leave the same language that it had when it came out of the Senate.
226	Rep. Hopson	Refers to section 4, sub a and explains that federal law is there and there are numerous situations that could be eliminated.
276	Sen. Fisher	Comments on the charter schools situation.
295	Wimmer Whalen	Explains that there were discussions on how to craft and began with a list of things that would be accepted.
321	Rep. Hopson	States that she would like the Department of Education here.
336	Sen. Starr	Comments on the intent of charter school legislation.
398	Sen. Fisher	Comments on the length of waivers.
403	Chair Backlund	Responds that he does not know.
406	Hunt	Responds that would depend on the commission of the waiver.
425	Sen. Fisher	Comments on the language "shall".
TAPE 2, A
015	John Marshall	Oregon School Boards Association. Comments on charter schools and the waivers.
035	Marshall	Comments on past discussions to identify public schools and charter schools with funding.
053	Rep. Hopson	Comments on the funding ratio and agrees that this was a big issue where compromise had to be made.
061	Marshall	Comments on the direction of school boards for beginning charter schools and the negotiations made.
081	Sen. Fisher	Comments on the funding ratio and the ADM.
094	Sen. Starr	Asks Hunt about line 23 of the bill.
103	Hunt	Explains that this means they will grant exceptions from laws in the charter school chapters, not from the list on page 2, lines 9-25.
119	Adkins	Shows copies of statutes.
141	Wimmer Whalen	Gives examples of some things that could be waived.
152	Rep. Zauner	Comments on local control and his district.
168	Rep. Hopson	Comments on laws in place and small school districts.
190	Tricia Smith	Oregon School Employees Association. Explains that she was involved in the charter school negotiations and comments on charter starters.
220	Sen. Fisher	Asks Hunt what should be done at this time.
230	Hunt	Explains the procedure for waiver.
240	Sen. Fisher	Comments on the disagreements.
251	Hunt	Explains the charter application procedure.
275	Chair Backlund	Suggest rescheduling this work session for another time.
300	Sen. Castillo	Comments on the Governor's office being advised on this language.
320	Chair Backlund	Responds that no one has contacted him from the Governor's office and there has been no input from the Department of Education.
321	Sen. Fisher	Asks Backlund if there should be information gathered.
325	Chair Backlund	Responds that the committee should give thought to the discussions in this meeting and volunteer information would be helpful.
329	Chair Backlund	Closes work session and adjourns committee at 4:30 p.m.

Submitted By, Reviewed By,

Paula Merritt, Janet Adkins,

Committee Assistant Committee Administrator

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – HB 3395B, -5 amendments, staff, 1 page