Legislative Advocacy Trend Analysis

HB 55 Authorize Firearms for School Personnel HB43 University Institutes of Law and Medicine HB17 Student Loan Principal reductions HB138 Layoff Notices for Tenured Teachers HJR1/SJR9 Const. Am Education funding

An Act allowing school districts and private schools to adopt a policy authorizing one or more permanent employees to possess one or more firearms on school grounds under certain conditions.

We do not believe this bill has much chance of passing. If we take the gun control debate completely off the table, a school district could be taking on a great deal of extended liability by authorizing employees to have firearms in schools. Who is to pay for the required training for these individuals? How often? There is no limit as to how many employees in a given school may carry a concealed weapon, so who is going to keep track of these individuals and their license status?

This could be a large logistical burden for a district to bear. What if one of the weapons was misused? Who is liable? What will the added cost be for school districts to administer such firearms and their use? Possible future litigation?

We recommend that this bill not be passed.

"An Act authorizing the establishment of institutes of medicine and law at the University of Alaska."

This bill definitely seems to have legs. It is progressive in nature and benefiting a needed service area in Alaska.

This bill could increase health providers and health service in Alaska - a much needed service in rural Alaska. There are consistent efforts to get qualified health providers to communities that are difficult to get in and out of.

We recommend that this bill be passed.

"An providing for a reduction of the principal of postsecondary education loans for residents.

This bill does not seem to have legs due to current budget constraints and future budget shortfalls.

This bill might help increase teacher retention in Alaska. It would also keep other professional Alaskans in Alaska.

We recommend that this bill be passed.

"An Act extending the annual deadline by which employers are required to deliver layoff or nonretention notices to employees who are tenured teachers."

We believe this bill has a chance of passing. It will cost the state $0 and it could actually save districts money, in such a way that they will have to spend less money laying tenured teachers off in the spring and rehiring them later in the summer.

This bill could reduce the amount of work for human resource depts. in the spring. It helps prevent the districts from having to lay off tenured teachers due to rough guesses in the enrollment numbers and budget. It also eliminates the possibilities of losing good teachers to other districts or careers. Layoffs are stressful for the teacher, their families, the students, and the school they work at. Even the best teachers are emotionally and mentally impacted by being laid off, which doesn't help the larger mission of the school or district.

We recommend that this bill be passed.

The legislature shall by general law establish and maintain a system of public schools open to all children of the State, and may provide for other public educational institutions. Schools and institutions so established shall be free from sectarian control.

This bill looks like it is just adding to the existing bill to the affect that the bill will be clearer on where and how money is spent on education in the state.

The effect that this will have on education is that there will not be any loop holes that private and religious organizations could navigate in order to receive money from the state.

We recommend that this bill be passed.