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Show OF ESETES PTE SESE CGT EE TGA ead PS esvs Feet Ato DAILY Thursday, February23, 2006 H ERALD 2006 LEGI SLATURE Education reform bill passes House : Tyler Peterson | DAILY HERALD Educationis amiss and reform must takeplace, according to Rep. Stephen Urquhart, R-St. George. The Housepassed his threepronged educationbill 44-31 Wednesday even though some representatives said the Legislature should focus on oneissue at a time. “I'm trying to makeit a one-issuebill, whichI think is good public policy for us to be able to debate,”said Rep. Kory Holdaway,R-Taylorsville, while presenting an amendment that ultimately failed. Thebill clarifies the state Board of Education policy for firing teachers. Urquhart said it was necessary to makesure the “absolute worst” could be let go moreeasily. Sponsor: Rep. Stephen Urquhart, R-St. George Education Reform — Bill would provide stipends for | supplemental instruction to students who have not passed the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test, funding to implement proposals to improve math | test scores in grades four through six, and modifica- | tions to the Utah Orderly Schoo! Termination Proce- dures Act. | | ae It also would providea total of $20 million in one-time tax revenues to two programs:one designed to tutor students in dangerof not passing the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test before their senior year and the other for improving math achievementtest scores for studentsin grades four to six. “I think weall realize we need to improve our performance in math, ee ee sixth grade,” said, Funding for the mathinitiative, $12.5 million, would be split between professional developmentandincentive bonuses. Atleast half would have to go towardincentive programs for teachers whosestudents achieve greatertest results. But some said giving incentives would havedrastic effects on thewayschoolis taught, causing teachers to focus more on the money than the students. “It’s possibly more harmful to kids than it is to benefit teachers,” said Rep. Carol Spackman Moss,D-Holladay, a former A bill that would change the way Utah punisheshatecrimesis undergoing major revisions as thebill's sponsor works to hammerout a compromise with another lawmaker. Sponsored by Rep. David Litvack, DSalt Lake City, HouseBill 90 was set for a debate by the full House late Wednesday. Instead,it got hung up as Rep. LaVar Christensen, R-Draper, rushedtofinish drafting a substitute. A longtimeopponentof Litvack's hate crimesbill proposals — this is his sixth — Christensen thinksthestate's existing law, whichprosecutorshave said in unenforceable, needs only a minor tweak. Litvack’s currentbill would direct judges and the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole Il “| think we all realize we need to improve our performance in math.” Rep. soe Urquhart R-St. George teacher in the Granite district. The other $7.5 million would be given as stipends — between. $500 and $1,500 each — to “basic skills providers” who tutor students on UBSCT.The training could comefrom public or private entities and would go to students who still haven't scored higher than the “partial mastery” midpoint of the test by spring oftheir junior year. The bill now moves to the Senate. hate crimes statute, even thoughitit is titled “penalties for hate crimes.” The current law HB #90 a class-action lawsuit against what to do with electronic waste such as obsolete computers and discarded TVslater this year, but will not form a formal task force on the issue. State Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt LakeCity,told fellow senators Wednesdaythat he'd received assurances that the topic will be studied in interim meetings of the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee. Hehad proposed legislation creating an electronic waste task force, but that bill will be set aside. Used electronic gear — computers and peripherals,televi- Sen.Patrice Arent, DSalt e City, vi criticisms that the proposal would hurt consumersbylimiting access to the courts. “We've never heard any public policy reason to pass this bill,” Arent said. “I don’t see any reasonto take away the rights of consumers.” The first vote on passing the bill was 13-10.It takes atleast 15 affirmative votes to pass a bill in the Senate. Six senators were absentfor that vote. Bramble was able to recall thebill later in the day, and it passed 25-4. Thelegislation now proceeds tothe state Houseof Representatives. — Daily Herald sions, DVDplayers and VCRs, mobile phones — usually contain toxic substances such as barium, cadmium, lead and mercury.If disposed of improperly, those substances can cause pollution — leaching into , for example. * The items also can contain precious metals, such as gold, silver and platinum. Credit bill revived A bill that would prevent people from starting or joining is insteada civil rights statute that requires Sponsor: Rep. David Litvack, D-Salt Lake City || E-waste to be studied Lawmakers will discuss * Hate crimesbill undergoesMajor revision pennies Dobner SSOCIATED PRESS LEGISLATIVENOTES Criminal Penalty Amendments — This bill would change the way the state || punisheshate crimes. to consider evidenceofbias or hatred in the selection of a victim when they are sentencing convicted offenders or considering an offenderfor parole. Neither representative would offer any details of the compromisebill they are now drafting together, although Christensen said the new bill will seek to balancehis concerns with Litvack’sintentions. Utah law doesnot technically have a prosecutorto provea victim'scivil rights, such as votingor attending school, wereinterrupted by the commission of the crime. Statistics kept by Utah law enforcement dating backto 1998 show the state averages 66 hate crimes a year. In the past, Litvack and others have sought to enhancethe penalties for hate crimes,by raising the punishmentfor crimes by onestepif bias or prejudice in victim selection could be proved. That approachconsistently failed becauseit includeda list of groups typically targeted in bias crimes. Among them was theclassification of “sexual orientation,” which House members would not support because they claimed would create special rights for homosexuals. School fee waiverbill moves on to Senate A bill that would require the state Board of Education to create a standard form for schoolfee waiver applicants passed the House on Wednesday. Thebill’s sponsor, Rep. Kory Holdaway, R-Taylorsville, said a statewidepolicy was necessary to prevent abuses of the fee waiver system by those whocan afford to “Weneed to makesure that we're protecting those that actually have need,” he said. The bill also calls for creation of a form for schools to report their fee waiver details backto the board. It will now goto the Senate. — Daily Herald Poll: Most think Clinton will rum for president, but won't Win Marc Humbert THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ALBANY,N.Y. — Two-thirds of Americans believe Sen.Hillary Rodham Clinton will run for president, but only one-third believe she can win, according toa national poll released We dayry. Almost 80 percent said they don’t think Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a Republican, could win the White House either. Genderis a factor,pollster Lee Miringoff said. “It looks like whether you treat them ogee or separately, it would certainly an uphill fight for either of them, andclearly part of that has to do with a continuing reluctance on the part of a large number of American voters to think in terms of a woman in the White House,” said Miringoff, the headof Marist College's Institute for Public Opinion. Twenty-seven percent of voters said they werenot likely to vote for a woman candidate in 2008 no matter which party tee=e headed, perareing to ST LET LAS ALY, tl OAaa a ENTIRE STOCK OF PERMANENTLY. REDUCED CLEARANCE Discounttaken at register. le prices are off of original prices. prices. of mail orders on clearance merchandise. for president in2008,mai SAVE UP TO 80% OFF NOW ON WHAT YOU NEED! 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Rice has said hs Hd no interest in running one with other national polls, Clinton led the list of potential Chassene contenders for the Democratic t! percent tee primary voters in he WNBC/Marist poll to 17 per- oe for former Vice President AlGore, 16 percent for John tom rcvhe eto bin ony se ay a, Discount applies only TV in New York City.‘Ot that 27 percent, almost one-third said they wouldn't back a female candidate because “womenarenot up tothe job” while it wasbecause the presidency is “a man's job.” gh "| |