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June 21 Sunday: The committee meeting was not on the schedule until late Friday after business hours. Legislation to be heard just emerging. Assembly Education Monday, June 22, 2009 - 9:00 AM Meeting - Committee Room 11, 4th Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ A-4140, concerning collective bargaining agreements and subcontracting, A-4141, clarifying the procedure for the elimination of non-operating school districts, and A-4142, concerning certain disciplinary procedures, collective bargaining, and binding arbitration in public employment, are on the agenda pending introduction & referral.Assembly Education Monday, June 22, 2009 - 9:00 AM Meeting - Committee Room 11, 4th Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ A-4140, concerning collective bargaining agreements and subcontracting, A-4141, clarifying the procedure for the elimination of non-operating school districts, and A-4142, concerning certain disciplinary procedures, collective bargaining, and binding arbitration in public employment, are on the agenda pending introduction & referral. A-1489 Prohibits boards of education from charging students a fee to participate in extracurricular activities.
(All above – “This act shall take effect immediately.”)
GSCS Positions on A4140, A1489, A4142: OPPOSED.
Legislation & GSCS Position Statement - attached.
June 21 Sunday: These bills only surfaced late yesterday/Saturday. The committee meeting wasn't on the schedule until late Friday after business hours; the bills/drafts not available for review until Sunday.
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PROPOSED A4140:
An Act concerning certain collective bargaining agreements and subcontracting and supplementing P.L.1941, c.100 (C.34:13A-1 et seq.).
This act shall take effect immediately.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in this act:
“Employee” means any employee, whether employed on a full or part-time basis, of an employer.
“Employer” means any: local or regional school district; county vocational school district; county special services school district; jointure commission; educational services commission; school district under partial or full State intervention, charter school; county college,
“Subcontracting” means any action, practice, or effort by an employer which results in any services or work performed by any of its employees being performed or provided by any other person, vendor, corporation, partnership, or entity.
“Subcontracting agreement” means any agreement or arrangement entered into by an employer to implement subcontracting, but shall not include any shared services agreement entered into pursuant to the “Uniform Shared Services and Consolidation Act,” P.L.2007, c.63 (C.40A:65-1 et seq.), or any contract to provide services to nonpublic schools through State or federal funds, or any contract in which it is required by law that workers be paid the prevailing wage determined by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development pursuant to the provisions of the “New Jersey Prevailing Wage Act,” P.L.1963, c.150 (C.34:11-56.25 et seq.).
2. Except for actions of an employer expressly required or prohibited by the provisions of P.L.1941, c.100 (C.34:13A-1 et seq.), all aspects of and actions relating to or resulting from an employer’s decision to subcontract including, but not limited to, whether or not severance pay is provided, shall be mandatory subjects of negotiations.
3. No employer shall enter into a subcontracting agreement which involves or affects the bargaining unit work performed by the members of a bargaining unit covered by a collective bargaining agreement with the majority representative while that agreement, or a successor agreement, is in effect. No employer shall enter into a subcontracting agreement for a period following the term of such a collective bargaining agreement or successor agreement unless the employer:
a. Provides written notice to the majority representative of each collective bargaining unit which may be affected by the subcontracting agreement and to the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission, not less than 90 days before the employer requests bids, or solicits contractual proposals for the subcontracting agreement; and
b. Has offered the majority representative of each collective bargaining unit which may be affected by the subcontracting agreement the opportunity to meet and consult with the employer to discuss the decision to subcontract, and the opportunity to engage in negotiations over the impact of the subcontracting. The employer’s duty to negotiate with the majority representatives of the affected bargaining units shall not preclude the employer’s right to subcontract upon the expiration of any existing collective agreement or the expiration of a successor agreement, provided that the employer has provided the majority representative of the members of the bargaining unit with the information required by subsection d. of section 4 of this act and provided at least 90 days for the majority representative to engage in the process provided by this section.
4. In addition to the requirements of section 3 of this act, no employer covered by this act shall enter a subcontracting agreement unless the other person, vendor, corporation, partnership, or entity which will provide the services included in the subcontracting agreement submits a bid or proposal which includes but is not limited to the following information:
a. Evidence of liability insurance in scope and amount equivalent to the liability insurance that the employer maintains to cover its liability for personal injury claims made against it;
b. A list of the number of employees who will provide the subcontracted services, the job classifications of those employees, and the wages the third party will pay those employees;
c. A minimum three-year cost projection, using generally accepted accounting principles, and which the third party is prohibited from increasing if the bid or proposal is accepted by the employer, for each and every expenditure category and account for performing the subcontracted services;
d. Composite information about the criminal and disciplinary records, including alcohol or other substance abuse, Department of Children and Families complaints and investigations, traffic violations, and license revocation or any other licensure problem, of any employees who may perform the services, provided that the individual names and other identifying information of employees need not be provided with the submission of the bid, but must be made available upon request of the employer; and
e. An affidavit, notarized by the president or chief executive officer of the third party, that each of its employees has completed a criminal background check as required by section 1 of P.L.1986, c.116 (C.18A:6-7.1) three months prior to submission of the bid, provided that the results of such background checks need not be provided with the submission of the bid, but must be made available upon request of the employer.
5. Each employee replaced or displaced as the result of a subcontracting agreement shall retain all previously acquired seniority during that period and shall have recall rights whenever the subcontracting terminates.
6. An employer who violates any provision of this act shall be deemed to have committed an unfair practice, and any majority representative organization affected by the violation may file an unfair practice charge with the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission. If the organization prevails on the charge, the commission may provide a remedy including, but not limited to, reinstatement, back pay, back benefits, back emoluments, tenure and seniority credit, and any other relief that the commission deems appropriate to effectuate the purposes of this act.
7. Nothing in this act shall be construed as authorizing subcontracting which is not otherwise authorized by law. Nothing in this act shall be construed as restricting or limiting any right established or provided for employees by section 7 of P.L.1968, c.303 (C.34:13A-5.3). The purpose of this act is to provide rights in addition to those provided in that section.
8.This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill supplements the “New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act” to prohibit an employer from entering into a subcontracting agreement which may affect the employment of any employees in a collective bargaining unit during the term of a collective bargaining agreement covering those employees. The bill defines “employer” as any local or regional school district, county vocational school district, county special services school district, jointure commission, educational services commission, school district under partial or full State intervention, charter school, any county college,
1. Provides written notice both to the majority representative of employees and the Public Employment Relations Commission at least 90 days prior to any effort by the employer to seek the subcontracting agreement; and
2. Offers the majority representative the opportunity to meet and discuss the decision to subcontract and negotiate over its impact.
The bill requires the disclosure of various information regarding the subcontractor including proof of required insurance, a cost projection of at least three years, and criminal and disciplinary records and other information about subcontractor employees.
The bill makes all actions of an employer regarding subcontracting, except for those expressly required or prohibited by the bill, mandatory subjects of negotiations.
Each employee replaced or displaced because of a subcontracting agreement is deemed by the bill to be on a leave of absence during the period of the subcontracting and therefore retains all previously acquired seniority and has recall rights when the subcontracting terminates.
The bill provides that an employer who violates its provisions has committed an unfair practice, and may be subject to unfair practice charge with the Public Employment Relations Commission, under which the employee may be entitled to remedies including reinstatement, back pay, back benefits, back emoluments, tenure and seniority credit, and attorney's fees.
Concerns collective bargaining agreements and subcontracting.
PROPOSED A4142:
An Act concerning certain disciplinary procedures, collective bargaining, and binding arbitration, and amending P.L.1968, c.303 and P.L.1989, c.269.
This act shall take effect immediately.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.1968, c.303 (C.34:13A-5.3) is amended to read as follows:
1. Except as hereinafter provided, public employees shall have, and shall be protected in the exercise of, the right, freely and without fear of penalty or reprisal, to form, join and assist any employee organization or to refrain from any such activity; provided, however, that this right shall not extend to elected officials, members of boards and commissions, managerial executives, or confidential employees, except in a school district the term managerial executive shall mean the superintendent of schools or his equivalent, nor, except where established practice, prior agreement or special circumstances dictate the contrary, shall any supervisor having the power to hire, discharge, discipline, or to effectively recommend the same, have the right to be represented in collective negotiations by an employee organization that admits nonsupervisory personnel to membership, and the fact that any organization has such supervisory employees as members shall not deny the right of that organization to represent the appropriate unit in collective negotiations; and provided further, that, except where established practice, prior agreement, or special circumstances dictate the contrary, no policeman shall have the right to join an employee organization that admits employees other than policemen to membership. The negotiating unit shall be defined with due regard for the community of interest among the employees concerned, but the commission shall not intervene in matters of recognition and unit definition except in the event of a dispute.
Representatives designated or selected by public employees for the purposes of collective negotiation by the majority of the employees in a unit appropriate for such purposes, by the majority of the employees voting in an election conducted by the commission as authorized by this act or, at the option of the representative in a case in which the commission finds that only one representative is seeking to be the majority representative, by a majority of the employees in the unit signing authorization cards indicating their preference for that representative, shall be the exclusive representatives for collective negotiation concerning the terms and conditions of employment of the employees in such unit. An authorization card indicating preference shall not be valid unless it is printed in a language understood by the employees who signs it.
Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent any official from meeting with an employee organization for the purpose of hearing the views and requests of its members in such unit so long as (a) the majority representative is informed of the meeting; (b) any changes or modifications in terms and conditions of employment are made only through negotiation with the majority representative; and (c) a minority organization shall not present or process grievances. Nothing herein shall be construed to deny to any individual employee his rights under Civil Service laws or regulations. When no majority representative has been selected as the bargaining agent for the unit of which an individual employee is a part, he may present his own grievance either personally or through an appropriate representative or an organization of which he is a member and have such grievance adjusted.
A majority representative of public employees in an appropriate unit shall be entitled to act for and to negotiate agreements covering all employees in the unit and shall be responsible for representing the interest of all such employees without discrimination and without regard to employee organization membership. Proposed new rules or modifications of existing rules governing working conditions shall be negotiated with the majority representative before they are established. In addition, the majority representative and designated representatives of the public employer shall meet at reasonable times and negotiate in good faith with respect to grievances, disciplinary disputes, and other terms and conditions of employment. Nothing herein shall be construed as permitting negotiation of the standards or criteria for employee performance.
When an agreement is reached on the terms and conditions of employment, it shall be embodied in writing and signed by the authorized representatives of the public employer and the majority representative. In all cases, the terms of a collectively negotiated agreement shall supersede the terms of any individual contract between a public employer and an individual public employee whose position is within the bargaining unit covered by the collective agreement. No term or provision in such an individual contract may be applied or interpreted in a manner which limits, restricts, or circumscribes, or has the effect of limiting, restricting, or circumscribing a provision or right contained within the collective agreement.
Public employers shall negotiate written policies setting forth grievance and disciplinary review procedures by means of which their employees or representatives of employees may appeal the interpretation, application or violation of policies, agreements, and administrative decisions, including disciplinary determinations, affecting them, provided that such grievance and disciplinary review procedures shall be included in any agreement entered into between the public employer and the representative organization. Such grievance and disciplinary review procedures may provide for binding arbitration as a means for resolving disputes, except that binding arbitration shall be the statutorily required terminal step for all disciplinary review procedures in all collective agreements between employers and employees subject to the provisions of P.L.1989, c.269 (C.34:13A-22 et seq.). Except as otherwise provided herein, and except as provided in P.L.1989, c.269 (C.34:13A-22 et seq.), the procedures agreed to by the parties may not replace or be inconsistent with any alternate statutory appeal procedure nor may they provide for binding arbitration of disputes involving the [discipline] termination or discharge of employees [with] who have achieved statutory tenure or who have statutory protection under [tenure or] the civil service laws[, except that]. Except as otherwise required by P.L.1989, c.269 (C.34:13A-22 et seq.), such procedures may provide for binding arbitration of disputes involving the minor discipline of any public employees protected under the provisions of section 7 of P.L.1968, c.303 (C.34:13A-5.3), other than public employees subject to discipline pursuant to R.S.53:1-10. Grievance and disciplinary review procedures established by agreement between the public employer and the representative organization shall be utilized for any dispute covered by the terms of such agreement. [For the purposes of this section] Except as otherwise required by P.L.1989, c.269 (C.34:13A-22 et seq.), minor discipline shall mean a suspension or fine of less than five days unless the employee has been suspended or fined an aggregate of 15 or more days or received more than three suspensions or fines of five days or less in one calendar year.
Where the State of New Jersey and the majority representative have agreed to a disciplinary review procedure that provides for binding arbitration of disputes involving the major discipline of any public employee protected under the provisions of this section, other than public employees subject to discipline pursuant to R.S.53:1-10, the grievance and disciplinary review procedures established by agreement between the State of New Jersey and the majority representative shall be utilized for any dispute covered by the terms of such agreement. For the purposes of this section, major discipline shall mean a removal, disciplinary demotion, suspension or fine of more than five days, or less where the aggregate number of days suspended or fined in any one calendar year is 15 or more days or unless the employee received more than three suspensions or fines of five days or less in one calendar year.
In interpreting the meaning and extent of a provision of a collective negotiation agreement providing for grievance arbitration, a court or agency shall be bound by a presumption in favor of arbitration. Doubts as to the scope of an arbitration clause shall be resolved in favor of requiring arbitration.
(cf: P.L.2005, c.380)
2. Section 1 of P.L.1989, c.269 (C.34:13A-22) is amended to read as follows:
1. As used in [this act] P.L.1989, c.269 (C.34:13A-22 et seq.):
"Commission" means the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission.
"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Education.
"Discipline" includes all forms of discipline[,] including, but not limited to: all forms of discharge, termination and contract nonrenewal, whether effective during or at the end of an individual employment contract or under any other circumstances, affecting any and all employees who have not yet obtained statutory tenure or permanent civil service status, or who are in positions which are not eligible for statutory tenure or permanent civil service status; the withholding for any reason of salary increments pursuant to N.J.S.18A:29-14; and any and all forms of reprimands, fines and suspensions; except that “discipline” does not include: tenure charges filed pursuant to the provisions of subsubarticle 2 of subarticle B of Article 2 of chapter 6 of Subtitle 3 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, N.J.S.18A:6-10 et seq.[, or the withholding of increments pursuant to N.J.S.18A:29-14]; reductions in force implemented pursuant to N.J.S.18A:28-9; or suspensions with pay pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1971, c.435 (C.18A:6-8.3) or N.J.S.18A:25-6.
"Employees" means employees of an employer as defined by this act.
"Employer" means any county college, local or regional school district, educational services commission, jointure commission, county special services school district, county vocational school district, charter school or board or commission under the authority of the commissioner or the State Board of Education.
"Extracurricular activities" include those activities or assignments not specified as part of the teaching and duty assignments scheduled in the regular work day, work week, or work year.
["Minor discipline" includes, but is not limited to, various forms of fines and suspensions, but does not include tenure charges filed pursuant to the provisions of subsubarticle 2 of subarticle B of Article 2 of chapter 6 of Subtitle 3 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, N.J.S.18A:6-10 et seq., or the withholding of increments pursuant to N.J.S.18A:29-14, letters of reprimand, or suspensions with pay pursuant to section 1 of P.L. 1971, c. 435 (C.18A:6-8.3) and N.J.S. 18A:25-6.]
"Regular work day, work week, or work year" means that period of time that all members of the bargaining unit are required to be present and at work.
"Teaching staff member" means a member of the professional staff of any employer holding office, position or employment of such character that the qualifications, for the office, position or employment, require him to hold a valid and effective standard, provisional or emergency certificate, appropriate to that office, position or employment, issued by the State Board of Examiners. "Teaching staff member" includes a school nurse.
(cf: P.L.1989, c.269, s.1)
3. Section 3 of P.L.1989, c.269 (C.34:13A-24) is amended to read as follows:
3. a. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, and if negotiated with the majority representative of the employees in the appropriate collective bargaining unit, an employer shall have the authority to impose [minor] discipline on employees. Nothing contained herein shall limit the authority of the employer to impose, in the absence of a negotiated agreement regarding [minor] discipline, any disciplinary sanction which is authorized and not prohibited by law. Any imposition of discipline upon an employee covered by P.L.1989, c.269 (C.34:13A-22 et seq.), shall be subject to review pursuant to the applicable collectively negotiated grievance procedure, including mandatory binding arbitration pursuant to section 8 of P.L.1989, c.269 (C.34:13A-29).
b. The scope of [such] negotiations shall include a schedule setting forth the acts and omissions for which [minor] discipline may be imposed, and also the penalty to be imposed for any act or omission warranting imposition of [minor] discipline.
c. Fines and suspensions for [minor] discipline which are specified in a negotiated agreement or result from an arbitrator’s award shall not constitute a reduction in compensation pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.18A:6-10.
(cf: P.L.1989, c.269, s.3)
4. Section 5 of P.L.1989, c.269 (C.34:13A-26) is amended to read as follows:
5. Disputes involving the withholding of an employee's increment by an employer [for predominately disciplinary reasons] for any reason shall be subject to the contractual grievance procedures established pursuant to law and shall be subject to binding arbitration as required by the provisions of section 8 of this act.
(cf: P.L.1989, c.269, s.5)
5. Section 6 of P.L.1989, c.269 (C.34:13A-27) is amended to read as follows:
6. a. If there is a dispute as to whether a transfer of an employee between work sites [or withholding of an increment of a teaching staff member] is disciplinary, the commission shall determine whether the basis for the transfer [or withholding] is predominately disciplinary.
b. If the commission determines that the basis for a transfer is predominately disciplinary, the commission shall have the authority to take reasonable action to effectuate the purposes of this act.
c. [If the commission determines that the basis for an increment withholding is predominately disciplinary, the dispute shall be resolved through the grievance procedures established pursuant to law and shall be subject to the provisions of section 8 of this act.] (Deleted by amendment, P.L. , c. )(now pending before the Legislature as this bill)
d. If a dispute involving [the reason for] the withholding of [a teaching staff member's increment is submitted to the commission pursuant to subsection a. of this section, and the commission determines that the reason for the increment withholding relates predominately to the evaluation of a teaching staff member's teaching performance, the teaching staff member] the salary increment of an employee who is not represented by a majority representative arises, the employee may file a petition of appeal with the Commissioner of Education pursuant to N.J.S.18A:6-9 and N.J.S.18A:29-14[, and the petition shall be deemed to be timely if filed within 90 days of notice of the commission's decision, or of the final judicial decision in any appeal from the decision of the commission, whichever date is later].
(cf: P.L.1989, c.269, s.6)
6. Section 7 of P.L.1989, c.269 (C.34:13A-28) is amended to read as follows:
7. Nothing in [this act] P.L.1989, c.269 (C.34:13A-22 et seq.) shall be deemed to restrict or limit any right established or provided by section 7 of P.L.1968, c.303 (C.34:13A-5.3); this act shall be construed as providing additional rights in addition to and supplementing the rights provided by that section.
(cf: P.L.1989, c.269, s.7).
7. Section 8 of P.L.1989 c.269 (C.34:13A-29) is amended to read as follows:
8. a. The grievance procedures that employers covered by [this act] P.L.1989, c.269 (C.34:13A-22 et seq.) are required to negotiate pursuant to section 7 of P.L.1968, c.303 (C.34:13A-5.3) shall be deemed to require, by operation of law, binding arbitration as the terminal step in all collective agreements with respect to disputes concerning imposition of [reprimands and] discipline as that term is defined in [this act] section 1 of P.L.1989, c.269 (C.34:13A-22).
b. In any grievance procedure negotiated pursuant to [this act] P.L.1989, c.269 (C.34:13A-22 et seq.), the burden of proof shall be on the employer covered by this act seeking to impose discipline as that term is defined in [this act] section 1 of P.L.1989, c.269 (C.34:13A-22). In any arbitration regarding the discharge, termination or contract nonrenewal of any employee covered by P.L.1989, c.269 (C.34:13A-22 et seq.), whether effective during or at the end of an individual employment contract or under any other circumstances, excluding the termination of employees who have achieved statutory tenure or permanent civil service status, the arbitrator shall have the discretion to order a remedy including, but not limited to, reinstatement of the grievant with back pay and benefits.
c. Notwithstanding any provision of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, the “New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act,” P.L.1941, c.100 (C.34:13A-1 et seq.), or any other law or regulation to the contrary, the terms of a collectively negotiated agreement shall supersede the terms of an individual contract between a public employer and an individual public employee whose position is within the bargaining unit covered by the collective agreement. No term or provision in such an individual contract may be applied or interpreted in a manner which limits, restricts or circumscribes, or has the effect of limiting, restricting or circumscribing a provision or right contained within the collective agreement.
(cf: P.L.1989, c.269, s.8)
8. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that the terms of a collectively negotiated agreement shall supersede the terms of any individual contract between any public employer and any individual public employee whose position is within the bargaining unit covered by the collective agreement. In addition to this provision, which applies to individual contracts of both educational and non-educational public employers and employees, the bill, with respect to only the educational sector:
1. Makes binding arbitration the terminal step for the review of any imposition of discipline under collective bargaining agreements, extending that requirement to major, as well as minor, discipline, and extends the scope of collective bargaining to cover procedures for major, as well as minor, discipline.
2. Provides that fines and suspensions for any discipline, major as well as minor, levied under a contract or an arbitrator’s award do not constitute a reduction in compensation for pension purposes;
3. Extends binding arbitration and contractual grievance procedures to cover disputes over the withholding of increments for any reason, instead of just for predominately disciplinary reasons;
4. Provides an arbitrator, in cases of discharge, termination or contract non-renewal, with the authority to order remedies which include reinstatement with back pay and benefits; and
5. Amends the definition of "employer" to include county colleges, county vocational school districts, and charter schools.
Concerns certain disciplinary procedures, collective bargaining, and binding arbitration in public employment.
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
213th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2008 SESSION
1/8/2008 Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits boards of education from charging students a fee to participate in extracurricular activities.
This act shall take effect immediately.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning student participation in public school district extracurricular activities and supplementing chapter 42 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. A board of education shall not charge a student, or the student’s parent or legal guardian, a fee to participate in extracurricular activities; except that the board may charge a fee for the reimbursement of costs associated with equipment and supplies necessary to participate in the extracurricular activity if the board provides the parent or guardian with documentation of those costs.
b. In the event that a board of education charges a fee for the reimbursement of costs associated with equipment and supplies pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the board shall not exclude from participation in an extracurricular activity any student whose parent or guardian is unable to pay the fee because of financial hardship. In determining financial hardship the criteria shall be the same as the Statewide eligibility standards for free and reduced price meals under the State school lunch program.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill prohibits a board of education from charging a student, or the student’s parent or legal guardian, a fee to participate in extracurricular activities. The bill, however, allows a board to charge a fee for the reimbursement of costs associated with equipment and supplies necessary to participate in the extracurricular activity if the board provides the parent or guardian with documentation of those costs. However, a board that charges such a fee may not exclude from participation in extracurricular activities any student whose parent or guardian is unable to pay the fee because of financial hardship. In determining financial hardship under the bill the criteria would be the same as the Statewide eligibility standards for free and reduced price meals under the State school lunch program.
Garden State Coalition of Schools/GSCS
Lynne Strickland, Executive Director
Assembly Education Committee June 21, 2009
GSCS Positions on A4140, A1489, A4142: Opposed
A-4140, concerning collective bargaining agreements and subcontracting,
A-4142, concerning certain disciplinary procedures, collective bargaining, and binding arbitration in public employment, are on the agenda pending introduction & referral.
A-1489 prohibits boards of education from charging students a fee to participate in extracurricular activities.
Due to very late public notice of the hearing, as well as bills not being available for appropriate review and analysis, GSCS is presenting a compilation of thoughts, including member comments (in quotes below) on bills A4140, A1489, and A4142.
Overall issues with these proposed bills:
- Timing
Lack of transparency; virtually no public notice
No vetting allowed by abrupt process; these major bills require in-depth analysis
Economic crisis: bills will cost taxpayers more
- Instability: Current state of the economy precarious and unstable
- Mixed Message: District cost-saving measures nullified while legislature tells districts they spend too much
- No fiscal note; costs to local districts and local taxpayers
- Effective Immediately
Extremely disruptive
Budgets set for the year
- Credibility at state level will be out-front issue
- State mandate-State Pay/Council on Local Mandates
- Too many unanswered questions outstanding
- Cap issues – Mandates
