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SF 54: SCHOOL FINANCE - AMENDMENTS - 1998 Budget/Special Session
Sponsor: Select Committee on School Finance
Legislators tried to correct the mistakes of the 1997 special session (as identified in the December 1997 district court decision) and address other unresolved issues with SF 54.
They took another try at the adjustment for small schools, eliminated the statutory cap on funding increases, and changed the funding formula for middle and high schools.
SF 54 also authorized the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop and issue a Request for Proposals for implementation of a statewide student assessment in reading, writing and math in grades 4, 8 and 11.
(Note: The district court decision required the Legislature to develop a method of assessing students' progress in core curriculum and skills, but did not specify that this method had to be a statewide student assessment.)
In addition, SF 54 retained the "hold harmless" provisions of the 1997 special session legislation, which continue to create problems in that legislators are unwilling to make the wealthier districts accept funding cuts, but are also unwilling to fund the entire education pie at a level that will bring everyone to the level of the wealthiest districts.
Proponents of SF 54 argued that its passage would bring the state's school funding program in line with the Wyoming Constitution. Opponents argued that the bill did not adequately address funding problems or unresolved basket issues such as gifted and talented or at-risk students.
SF 54 passed the Senate, 23-6 (1 excused), and the House, 36-23 (1 excused).
After considering the 1998 Legislature’s actions, the large and small school districts and WEA renewed their legal challenges on several issues, including small schools and the overall size of the school funding pie. These will be heard in district court beginning in August 1998.
The votes listed below are the third reading (final passage) votes in the Senate and House.
Like HB 1001/SF1002 (1997 special session), SF 54 contained so many issues that it is difficult to characterize a vote. Again, one might reasonably conclude that a YES vote indicates the legislator believed the good elements of the bill outweighed the bad, and a NO vote indicates the legislator believed the bad elements outweighed the good.
|
BIG HORN BASIN LEGISLATORS |
Vote |
|
|
S18 |
Sen. Hank Coe (R) |
Yes |
|
H24 |
Rep. Peg Shreve (R) |
Yes |
|
H50 |
Rep. Pat Childers (R) |
Yes |
|
S19 |
Sen. Carroll Miller (R) |
Yes |
|
H25 |
Rep. Denny Smith (R) |
No |
|
H26 |
Rep. Chas. Hessenthaler (R) |
No |
|
S20 |
Sen. Gerald Geis (R) |
Excused |
|
H27 |
Rep. Ray Harrison (R) |
Yes |
|
H28 |
Rep. Mike Baker (R) |
No |
|
CASPER-AREA LEGISLATORS |
Vote |
|
|
S27 |
Sen. Gail Zimmerman (R) |
Yes |
|
H35 |
Rep. Dorothy Perkins (R) |
Yes |
|
H36 |
Rep. Bruce Hinchey (R) |
No |
|
S28 |
Sen. Keith Goodenough (D) |
No |
|
H56 |
Rep. Pat Nagel (R) |
Yes |
|
H57 |
Rep. Bob Tanner (R) |
No |
|
S29 |
Sen. Bill Hawks (R) |
Yes |
|
H37 |
Rep. Rick Tempest (R) |
Yes |
|
H59 |
Rep. Nancy Berry (D) |
Yes |
|
S30 |
Sen. Charles Scott (R) |
Yes |
|
H38 |
Rep. Carolyn Paseneaux (R) |
No |
|
H58 |
Rep. Ann Robinson (D) |
Yes |
|
CHEYENNE-AREA LEGISLATORS |
Vote |
|
|
S4 |
Sen. April Brimmer Kunz (R) |
Yes |
|
H7 |
Rep. Tony Ross (R) |
Yes |
|
H41 |
Rep. Mac McGraw (D) |
Yes |
|
S5 |
Sen. Donald Lawler (R) |
Yes |
|
H8 |
Rep. Larry Meuli (R) |
Yes |
|
H42 |
Rep. John Hanes (R) |
Yes |
|
S6 |
Sen. Rich Cathcart (D) |
Yes |
|
H9 |
Rep. Wayne Johnson (R) |
Yes |
|
H10 |
Rep. Pete Anderson (R) |
No |
|
S7 |
Sen. Guy Cameron (D) |
Yes |
|
H11 |
Rep. Wayne Reese (D) |
Yes |
|
H43 |
Rep. Kathryn Sessions (D) |
Yes |
|
S8 |
Sen. Jayne Mockler (D) |
Yes |
|
H12 |
Rep. Leo Garcia (D) |
Yes |
|
H44 |
Rep. Floyd Esquibel (D) |
Yes |
|
GILLETTE-AREA LEGISLATORS |
Vote |
|
|
S23 |
Sen. Larry Gilbertz (R) |
No |
|
H31 |
Rep. John Hines (R) |
Yes |
|
H52 |
Rep. George McMurtrey (R) |
No |
|
S24 |
Sen. Dick Erb (R) |
No |
|
H32 |
Rep. Jeff Wasserburger (R) |
Yes |
|
H53 |
Rep. Nick Deegan (D) |
No |
|
LANDER/RIVERTON-AREA LEGISLATORS |
Vote |
|
|
S25 |
Sen. John Vinich (D) |
Yes |
|
H33 |
Rep. Harry Tipton (R) |
Yes |
|
H54 |
Rep. Cale Case (R) |
No |
|
S26 |
Sen. Bob Peck (R) |
Yes |
|
H34 |
Rep. Frank Philp (R) |
No |
|
H55 |
Rep. Eli Bebout (R) |
No |
|
NORTHEAST/EAST CENTRAL WYOMING LEGISLATORS |
Vote |
|
|
S1 |
Sen. Bill Barton (R) |
Yes |
|
H1 |
Rep. Marlene Simons (R) |
No |
|
H2 |
Rep. Ross Diercks (D) |
No |
|
S2 |
Sen. Jim Twiford (R) |
Yes |
|
H5 |
Rep. Jim Hageman (R) |
No |
|
H6 |
Rep. Jim Anderson (R) |
No |
|
S3 |
Sen. Curt Meier (R) |
No |
|
H3 |
Rep. Bill Stafford (R) |
No |
|
H4 |
Rep. Roger Huckfeldt (R) |
No |
|
SHERIDAN-AREA LEGISLATORS |
Vote |
|
|
S21 |
Sen. Tom Kinnison (R) |
Yes |
|
H29 |
Rep. Rick Badgett (R) |
Yes |
|
H51 |
Rep. Bruce Burns (R) |
Yes |
|
S22 |
Sen. John Schiffer (R) |
Yes |
|
H30 |
Rep. Bill Bensel (D) |
Yes |
|
H40 |
Rep. Douglas Osborn (R) |
No |
|
SOUTH CENTRAL WYOMING LEGISLATORS |
Vote |
|
|
S9 |
Sen. Vince Picard (R) |
Yes |
|
H13 |
Rep. Mike Massie (D) |
Yes |
|
H45 |
Rep. Wende Barker (D) |
Yes |
|
S10 |
Sen. Irene Devin (R) |
Yes |
|
H14 |
Rep. Phil Nicholas (R) |
Yes |
|
H46 |
Rep. Tom Rardin (R) |
Yes |
|
S11 |
Sen. Bob Grieve (R) |
Yes |
|
H15 |
Rep. Tony Rose (R) |
No |
|
H47 |
Rep. Teense Willford (R) |
Yes |
|
SOUTHWEST WYOMING LEGISLATORS |
Vote |
|
|
S12 |
Sen. Rae Lynn Job (D) |
Yes |
|
H16 |
Rep. Kenilynn Zanetti (D) |
Yes |
|
H48 |
Rep. Jack Steinbrech (R) |
Yes |
|
S13 |
Sen. Ray Sarcletti (D) |
Yes |
|
H17 |
Rep. Fred Parady (R) |
Yes |
|
H60 |
Rep. Louise Ryckman (D) |
No |
|
S14 |
Sen. Mark Harris (D) |
Yes |
|
H18 |
Rep. John Eyre (R) |
Yes |
|
H39 |
Rep. Chris Boswell (D) |
Yes |
|
S15 |
Sen. Greg Phillips (D) |
Yes |
|
H19 |
Rep. Peggy Rounds (D) |
Yes |
|
H49 |
Rep. Ken Decaria (D) |
Yes |
|
WEST CENTRAL WYOMING LEGISLATORS |
Vote |
|
|
S16 |
Sen. Delaine Roberts (R) |
No |
|
H20 |
Rep. Louie Tomassi (R) |
Excused |
|
H21 |
Rep. Randall Luthi (R) |
Yes |
|
S17 |
Sen. Grant Larson (R) |
No |
|
H22 |
Rep. Budd Betts (R) |
No |
|
H23 |
Rep. Clarene Law (R) |
No |
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