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6-20-08 Later Friday, the school construction bill for 3.9B passed out of both Senate and Assembly Budget committees, along party lines
This is an important bill with ramifications for the educational and fiscal well-being of New Jersey's schools, as well as the state budget. The bill set aside $2.9B for Abbott school districts. While 950M is set aside for regular operating districts - and 50M for county vocational schools. The budget committees substituted amendment language to the legislation at the last minute; GSCS does have some concerns regarding reduction % of aid to regular opertaing districts, as well as a new tiering proposal...
Panel approves borrowing $3.9 billion for school construction Posted by dmurphy June 20, 2008 16:19PM The Assembly Budget Committee today voted for legislation allowing the state to borrow $3.9 billion for school construction without seeking approval from the voters. Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D-Essex), the bill's sponsor, said the $3.9 billion borrowing plan is necessary to address serious deficiencies at dozens of schools, to meet the Supreme Court's order to repair them, and to give the state's economy a shot in the arm. "This bill will provide some real stimulus to our economy," Coutinho said. He called the bill a "critical investment in the main infrastructure our state has, which of course is our children." The vote in favor of authorizing the bonds was 8 to 4, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed. The approval came a day after Gov. Jon Corzine told lawmakers that funding school construction was their constitutional duty and "moral obligation." The governor said that in one century-old school in Newark's Ironbound district, space is so tight that special education students are taught in renovated coat closets. Shortly before the committee voted, Republican legislative leaders issued a statement reminding Corzine that in his state-of-the-state speech in January, he said he wanted to "give voters the final say on new debt." "Governor, keep your promise. No new debt without voter approval," said Sen. Thomas Kean Jr. (R-Union). In the Senate Budget Committee, which is considering identical legislation, Sen. Ronald Rice (D-Essex) said seeking voter approval would delay construction of schools that should already have been built. Waiting for voter approval at the November election "means we miss another construction season and we're going to watch the cost of construction materials get higher," Rice said. "This is a bill for children." Most of the money, $2.9 billion, would go to restart a court-ordered program of building and renovating schools in the state's poorest districts that was essentially shut down amid scandal in 2005 after the first $8.4 billion was spent. Another $1 billion would subsidize construction in other districts. The bills still must be approved by the full Legislature.
This is an important bill with ramifications for the educational and fiscal well-being of New Jersey's schools, as well as the state budget. The bill set aside $2.9B for Abbott school districts. While 950M is set aside for regular operating districts - and 50M for county vocational schools. The budget committees substituted amendment language to the legislation at the last minute; GSCS does have some concerns regarding reduction % of aid to regular opertaing districts, as well as a new tiering proposal...
Panel approves borrowing $3.9 billion for school construction Posted by dmurphy June 20, 2008 16:19PM The Assembly Budget Committee today voted for legislation allowing the state to borrow $3.9 billion for school construction without seeking approval from the voters. Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D-Essex), the bill's sponsor, said the $3.9 billion borrowing plan is necessary to address serious deficiencies at dozens of schools, to meet the Supreme Court's order to repair them, and to give the state's economy a shot in the arm. "This bill will provide some real stimulus to our economy," Coutinho said. He called the bill a "critical investment in the main infrastructure our state has, which of course is our children." The vote in favor of authorizing the bonds was 8 to 4, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed. The approval came a day after Gov. Jon Corzine told lawmakers that funding school construction was their constitutional duty and "moral obligation." The governor said that in one century-old school in Newark's Ironbound district, space is so tight that special education students are taught in renovated coat closets. Shortly before the committee voted, Republican legislative leaders issued a statement reminding Corzine that in his state-of-the-state speech in January, he said he wanted to "give voters the final say on new debt." "Governor, keep your promise. No new debt without voter approval," said Sen. Thomas Kean Jr. (R-Union). In the Senate Budget Committee, which is considering identical legislation, Sen. Ronald Rice (D-Essex) said seeking voter approval would delay construction of schools that should already have been built. Waiting for voter approval at the November election "means we miss another construction season and we're going to watch the cost of construction materials get higher," Rice said. "This is a bill for children." Most of the money, $2.9 billion, would go to restart a court-ordered program of building and renovating schools in the state's poorest districts that was essentially shut down amid scandal in 2005 after the first $8.4 billion was spent. Another $1 billion would subsidize construction in other districts. The bills still must be approved by the full Legislature.
