Legislative Update

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Beginning This Week, Legislative Update Will Summarize Governors’ budget Requests For Precollegiate Education, Highlight Proposals that Rank High On The States’ Education Agendas. In Coming Months, It will Summarize Final Action On State Budgets.

COLORADO

Governor: Roy Romer (D)
FY 1993 proposed state budget:
$2.88 billion
FY 1993 proposed K-12 budget:
$1.12 billion
FY 1992 K-l2 budget:
$1.11 billion
Percent change K-12 budget:
+ 0.8 percent

Highlights:

Governor says budget request does not reflect his desire to have legislature raise revenues needed to fully fund 1988 school finance reform law. Estimated $150 million to $200 million in additional funds needed.

Governor has called for higher educational-achievement standards and new assessments.

Also proposing $12 million for educational incentive and innovation fund, which would provide matching grants to local districts for innovative reform efforts.

NEBRASKA

Governor: Ben Nelson (D)
FY 1992-93 state budget:
$3.1 billion
FY 1992-93 K-12 budget:
$960 million

Highlights:

Legislature expected to spend most of its session debating tax reform. State supreme court has ruled that some exemptions in property tax are unconstitutional; Governor backs constitutional amendment that would allow real and personal property to be treated separately.

Governor proposed, but legislature rejected, restoring $8 million vetoed last year for teacher incentive pay by taking the amount from state general aid to schools.

SOUTH DAK0TA

Governor: George S. Mickelson (R)
FY 1993 proposed state budget:
$536.3 million
FY 1993 proposed K-12 budget:
$155.2 million
FY 1992 K-12 budget:
$144.3 million
Percent change K- 12 budget:
+ 7.5 percent

Highlights:

Governor seeking legislative approval to add eight more sites to eight pilot projects across the state started last year to test ways to overhaul the educational system.

Governor also proposing a bill to provide more money to local schools by giving them their state aid monies in 12 monthly payments, instead of three lump sums. If the funds are invested properly, local school boards could earn an estimated additional $500,000 in interest income under the new system.

UTAH

Governor: Norman H. Bangerter (R)
FY 1993 proposed state budget:
$3.8 billion
FY 1993 proposed K-12 budget:
$1.35 billion
FY 1992 K-12 budget:
$1.29 billion
Percent change K-12 budget:
+ 4.6 percent

Highlights:

Governor seeking to continue class-size-reduction effort by proposing $10 million to reduce 2nd-grade classes by an average of three pupils.

Also calling for an additional $10 million to expand education technology initiative.

Proposing 3 percent salary increase for public-school employees.

WASHINGTON

Governor: Booth Gardner (D)
FY 1992-93 state budget:
$15.7 billion
FY 1992-93 K-12 budget:
$7.2 billion

Highlights:

Governor proposing to eliminate projected $890-million budget gap by dipping into a state “rainy day” fund and reducing education funding by $130 million. About half of K-12 savings would come from eliminating 3.55 percent raise for teachers sot to begin in September.