As the session winds down, ISTA continues to impact several high priority bills. 

This stage of the session, the content of bills is very fluid--conference committees work on differences between House and Senate bills—and some bills die of their own weight.

Here is the current status of two of the more high-profile bills we've been working—but please understand that until these conference committee reports are signed, sealed, and delivered (with floor votes in both chambers), everything remains fair game:

HB 1319—Various Education Matters

As you may remember, HB 1319 became the official “Christmas tree” bill of the session—meaning lots of “ornaments” were proposed to be added (new provisions). The bill now includes several independent provisions and you will notice that your lobbying contacts have made a big difference in the result:

1. School guidance counselors reinserted under the statutory definition of teacher. This is something that ISTA requested early on and it looks like it will make it through until the end.
2. The original contents of SB 284 have been included in HB 1319. Remember Sen. Ron Grooms’ simple little bill that for a time became a Christmas Tree itself with all kinds of anti-Association provisions? Sen. Grooms had a simple bill to change the official start date under a teacher’s contract. It looks like that will be added.
3. The language on the Governor’s “teacher choice” bill (formerly SB 264) was transformed into a summer study of compensation incentives to encourage highly effective teachers to teach in Indiana’s most challenging districts (as designated by having chronically lower accountability grades). There is no framework for a program. The General Assembly will properly study the issue and make recommendations for next session.
4. As for the expanded criminal history check language (HB 1233), the report will call for only new hires and any existing employee who has never had a criminal history check of any kind before to have a history check sometime within the next 4 years. Any other requirements would be based upon local policy—which is current law. This bill as originally proposed would have required every teacher every 5 years to undergo this check.

SB 229—Guns in Trunks on School Property

A conference committee met yesterday to negotiate possible compromises in this bill.

The meeting produced no compromises, but did include some controversy sparked by the interaction between some legislators and opponents testifying against the bill.

The original version passed by the Senate merely dealt with a gun buyback program. However, it was amended in the House to include language allowing anyone with a gun permit to keep a firearm in their vehicle on school property or where a school event is being held.

ISTA opposed this language. We, and other concerned organizations have urged legislators to remove this language from the bill.

At this point, it does not appear as though the language will be removed.

Stay Tuned In

Speaker Bosma indicated that he intends for the session to end on Thursday, a day earlier than is required. Please stay tuned and engaged. Things will happen very quickly as this 2014 short session winds to a close.