CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ON HB 2070

August 5, 2005 Hearing Room C

2:00 A.M. Tape 1

MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. Tom Butler, Chair

Rep. Deborah Boone

Rep. Susan Morgan

Sen. Kate Brown

Sen. Margaret Carter

Sen. David Nelson

STAFF PRESENT: Jim Keller, Committee Administrator

Kellie Whiting, Committee Assistant

MEASURES/ISSUES HEARD:

HB 2070 – 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
002	Chair Butler	Calls the meeting to order at 2:11 a.m. and asks Jeff Gilmore, Justin Martin and Julia Edwards to come forward and testify.
HB 2070 – WORK SESSION
014	Julia Edwards	Former Portland School Board Member. Testifies in support of HB 2070.
035	Justin Martin	Representing Portland Public Schools. Provides background of the bill and it’s effect on Portland Public Schools. Testifies in support of HB 2070.
063	Chair Butler	Asks Steve Myer to come forward.
067	Steve Myer	Legislative Revenue. Provides background of the bill. Explains the gap bond rate.
089	Chair Butler	Inquires if the school board went with a local option.
091	Edwards	Explains why the school board did not go with the local option.
098	Chair Butler	Inquires about the authority from the legislature to allow the continuance of the 5.27 rate.
100	Myer	Concurs. Explains the rate.
116	Chair Butler	Inquires why the local request was not dealt with.
122	Edwards	Responds about the items on the ballot, the election and the difficulties for the voters.
126	Chair Butler	Inquires about previous legislation.
132	Edwards	Responds about the bond measure not placed on the ballot and the anticipated shortfalls.
159	Chair Butler	Inquires about the shortfall including the gap bonds.
160	Martin	Explains what the shortfall includes. Comments on the intent of the HB 2070.
178	Chair Butler	Asks for an explanation of the plan and inquires about the decision to not extend the plan.
184	Martin	Responds about the difficult decisions made and the alternatives being addressed.
203	Edwards	Comments on the strategy of the labor agreements.
246	Chair Butler	Inquires about the additional tax revenues and resources going into the Portland school system.
254	Myers	Responds about the additional formula revenue.
257	Chair Butler	Inquires if any other school has the magnitude of having this type of revenue.
260	Myers	Responds at least two other school districts have above what the formula would allocate to them.
270	Sen. Vicki Walker	Senate District 7. Testifies in support of HB 2070.
298	Sen. Brown	Asks what the total budget is for Portland public schools.
300	Edwards	Responds approximately 390 million.
304	Sen. Brown	Inquires about the number of schoolchildren.
307	Edwards	Responds approximately 48 thousand.
315	Sen. Brown	Inquires about the number of languages spoken within the districts and the percentage of special needs students.
320	Edwards	Responds about the special needs students and the different languages spoken.
325	Sen. Brown	Asks if it is correct that the bill does not increase property taxes.
330	Edwards	Responds it does not and notes that some will see decreases.
340	Chair Butler	Closes the work session on HB 2070 and adjourns the meeting at 2:30 a.m.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY:

None submitted.