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Rep. Jim Hackworth - House District 33
IMMEDIATE RELEASE May
3, 2007
Governor Calls for School
Funding Changes;
Minimum Wage Bill Passes in
Final Action
House Replaces Certificates
of Driving with Temporary Driver Licenses
NASHVILLE (May 3) – Gov.
Phil Bredesen announced major changes to the Basic Education Program (BEP)
today in a joint session of the General Assembly. The BEP is a
complex mathematical formula used to allocate state money to local
school systems. The proposed adjustments are estimated to cost
$475 million and will be phased in over several years, according to Rep.
Jim Hackworth, D-Anderson
County.
“The governor and
legislators have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make needed changes
in our state’s education system. The current BEP is flawed and
there’s no reason to put more money into a deficient plan. We must
address the funding and fairness shortfalls and demand accountability
from our schools,” said
Hackworth.
After the State Funding
Board releases its projections for recurring and nonrecurring revenues
next week, legislators will decide how much taxpayer money is
appropriated for the new BEP formula. The plan’s success also
depends on the 40-cent cigarette tax hike proposed by the governor
earlier this year.
An estimated $140
million generated from the proposed cigarette tax increase is targeted
to fulfill the state’s share of funding to school systems with high
student growth and large populations of “at-risk” students.
English language learners may also benefit from smaller
student-to-teacher ratios under the new plan.
School funding is
presently based on a cost-differential factor that totaled up each local
school system’s expected financial contribution. The revised BEP
instead uses calculations of total assessed property and total local
option sales tax collections from each of the state’s 95 counties.
As a result, local governments can easily determine their fair share of
funding.
“We can set a framework
in place and create a long term funding mechanism that is transparent
and realistically determine how much state money each district requires.
But schools must meet high performance standards in return.
Funding is not the only issue we’re addressing. The state must
aggressively intervene with failing schools and fix their problems.
We have laws already in place that allow this,” said
Hackworth.
The state also plans to
increase its funding of teacher salaries from 65 percent to 75 percent
under the revised BEP. Plus, teacher starting salaries may be
raised incrementally from $36,700 to $40,000 annually.
“Teachers will also be
held accountable for their performance. They must have hard
content knowledge of their academic subjects, and be able to pass
standardized tests in their fields. The schools of education in
our state universities must emphasize professional training more than
academic theory,” said Hackworth.
The new BEP is flexible
and appropriations can be adjusted to accommodate differences in state
revenue collections from year-to-year. The broad structural
changes in school funding and equitable teacher pay are shared by all
the counties and those with more capacity are expected to transfer state
dollars to less affluent counties.
If approved by
legislators, at least half of the $475 million plan would receive
funding this year.
“Only 27 percent of our
students are scored on national performance examinations as proficient
in their subjects. Our state is transforming from manufacturing
and farming to a service-based economy. We are competing with
other states and nations for good-paying jobs. We must seize the
moment so our children can successfully enter the mainstream,” said
Hackworth.
In other action, the
House passed the state’s first state minimum wage in a majority vote on
the floor. This historic bill adopts the federal hourly wage as
the hourly wage in Tennessee. The measure automatically increases
the state wage if the federal minimum wage isn’t raised for calendar
five years. The present federal hourly wage is $5.15.
“This bill is for
working people with families who are trying to pay their bills and put
food on the table. They do the best they can, but many good-paying jobs
are now outsourced overseas. Public policy is based on public
input, and our constituents have demanded that we act. The cost of
living continuously increases, but real wages are the lowest in more
than 50 years,” said Hackworth.
If the bill is enacted
into law, all employers subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act
must comply starting July 1. Should the US Congress hike the
federal minimum wage within five years, the state minimum wage also goes
up.
But if the federal rate
is static, the state minimum wage automatically adjusts to reflect
increases in the federal consumer price index over the five year period.
The state Department of
Labor and Workforce Development, which oversees compliance, continues
setting Tennessee’s hourly wage annually until the federal government
raises its minimum wage. The clock stops for another five years if
the new federal rate equals or exceeds the state rate.
Also under the bill’s
provisions, workers can sue employers who violate the law.
Employers must pay all lost wages, attorney fees and court costs if the
court rules for the plaintiff.
“More than 20 states
have enacted a minimum wage. The employment rate in these states
has gone up, and they also have the greatest economic growth.
Passing this bill is a moral issue and popular among the majority of
Tennesseans regardless of their political convictions,” said
Hackworth.
Also in final action,
lawmakers passed a bill that abolishes the controversial certificate of
driving (CFD) linked by police to criminal rings that produced forged
documents for illegal immigrants. Created in 2004, the CFD was
seen as public safety issue as legislators were concerned that foreign
residents were driving untested and uninsured.
CFD applicants weren’t
required to furnish social security numbers to the Department of Safety,
unlike permanent residents. The document was invalid for
identification purposes and only allowed the holder to drive in
Tennessee.
Illegal immigrants from
neighboring states, however, purchased forged documents to prove legal
residency. Some state employees were also accused of accepting
bribes in return for the CFD.
“This bill eliminates
fraud by requiring applicants to present official proof to the
Department of Safety of their legal identity and authorized period of
Tennessee residency. Foreign nationals who are legitimate
students, business executives or government officials may apply for
valid temporary licenses. These temporary driver licenses expire
between one to five years,” concluded
Hackworth.
CONTACT:
Kenneth Townsend, Press Secretary, House Democratic Caucus, at
615-741-6620 or email
kenneth.townsend@legislature.state.tn.us
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