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MINUTES OF THE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
    Monday, January 22, 2007
Room W130, West Office Building, State Capitol Complex


Members Present:        Sen. Margaret Dayton, Committee Chair
                Sen. Greg Bell
                Sen. Lyle Hillyard
                Sen. Pat Jones
                Sen. Darin Peterson
                Sen. Ross Romero
                Sen. Howard A. Stephenson
                                
Members Excused:        Sen. Curtis Bramble        

Staff Present:            Phillip V. Dean, Policy Analyst
                Dee S. Larsen, Attorney
                Norda Shepard, Secretary
                    
Public Speakers Present:        Bruce Parker, Citizen
                Sarah Meier, President, Utah School Boards Association
                Cheryl Phipps, Utah PTA
                Richard Kendell, Commissioner, Utah State Higher Education
                Jim Sutton, Vice Director, 309th Maintenance Wing, Hill Air Force Base
                Col. Jeff Wandrey, Deputy Director of Engineering, Hill Air Force Base
                Brent Webster, Program Manager, Northrop Grumman
                Julianne Grant, Operations Manager, L-3 Communications
                Jason Perry, Executive Director, Governor's Office of Economic Development
                Scott Hinton, Dean, College of Engineering, Utah State University
                Dave Buehler, Associate Commissioner, Utah State Higher Education
                
A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.


Chair Dayton called the meeting to order at 8:33 a.m.

Chair Dayton welcomed everyone and indicated the agenda would be changed as Sen. Bell was stuck in traffic and had asked to present his bill second.

1. S.B. 133 Local School Board Public Hearing Requirements

Sen. Jones presented the bill and proposed amendments. Bruce Parker, speaking as a private citizen; Sarah Meier, President, Utah School Boards Association; and Cheryl Phipps, Utah PTA, spoke in support.

MOTION: Sen. Jones moved to amend S.B. 133, Local School Board Public Hearing Requirements, with the following amendments:


1.    Page 6, Lines 159 through 161


             159          (21) (a) Before closing a school or changing the boundaries of a school, a board shall:
             160          (i) hold a public hearing, as defined in Section
{   52-4-103   }        10-9a-103       ; and




             161          (ii) provide public notice of the public hearing, as specified in Subsection (21)(b).

2.     Page 6, Lines 176 through 178

                     176          (2) Prior to the adoption of a budget containing a tax rate which does not exceed the
                     177      certified tax rate, the board shall hold a public hearing
  , as defined in Section 10-9a-103,       on         the proposed budget. In addition to

                     178      complying with Title 52, Chapter 4, Open and Public Meetings Act, in regards to the hearing

The motion passed with Sens. Bell and Peterson absent at the time of the vote.

MOTION: Sen. Jones moved to pass S.B. 133, Local School Board Public Hearing Requirements, out with a favorable recommendation as amended.

The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Peterson absent at the time of the vote.

2. Approval of Minutes

MOTION: Sen. Hillyard moved to approve the minutes of January 16, 2007. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Peterson absent at the time of the vote.

3. S.B. 53 Higher Education Engineering Partnership

Sen. Bell presented the bill. Richard Kendell, Commissioner, Utah State Higher Education; Jim Sutton, Vice Director, 309th Maintenance Wing, Hill Air Force Base; Col. Jeff Wandrey, Deputy Director of Engineering, Hill Air Force Base; Brent Webster, Program Manager, Northrop Grumman; Julianne Grant, Operations Manager, L-3 Communications; and Jason Perry, Executive Director, Governor's Office of Economic Development spoke in support. Scott Hinton, Dean, College of Engineering, Utah State University; and Dave Beuhler, Associate Commissioner, Utah State Higher Education, answered committee questions and spoke in support.

MOTION: Sen. Hillyard moved to pass S.B. 53, Higher Education Engineering Partnership, out with a favorable recommendation.

The motion passed unanimously.

Chair Dayton thanked all those who came to testify.

MOTION: Sen. Hillyard moved to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously.

Chair Dayton adjourned the meeting at 9:40 a.m.

Minutes were reported by Norda Shepard, Secretary.




_________________________________
Sen. Margaret Dayton, Committee Chair