Education is the governor’s top priority this legislative session and the bill to let the people decide on local school boards will be heard on today,”Friday, Jan. 30, 2004, 2 p.m. at the Hawaii State Capitol in Room 309.” There is a Joint Hearing of the House Education and Judiciary Committees.
We invite all of you to join Gov. Lingle (who will testify), to attend the hearing and testify on behalf of the people. Tell your legislator to let the people decide.
Please fax your testimony to 586-0797 or you can email your testimony to mailto:charlene.ahlo@hawaii.gov
Please send your testimony by 9 a.m. on Friday morning. You can send two testimonies (one for HB 2331 and another against HB 1895) if you wish.
Here are the two bills which will be heard on Friday:
*”HB 2331-PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF HAWAII RELATING TO PUBLIC EDUCATION.”
Proposes a constitutional amendment that would:
(1) establish local school boards throughout the state to be elected from at least 7 school districts as provided by law; and
(2) create an educational standards and accountability.
*”HB 1895-RELATING TO EDUCATION”
Proposes to amend Article X, section 2 of the Hawaii Constitution to provide for election of Board of Education members from school districts as provided by law; upon passage of the constitutional amendment, requires 17 BOE members, with one member per district to be elected out of 17 school districts; requires residency in the school district; creates a temporary School District Commission modeled on the Reapportionment Commission to establish 17 school districts each comprised of 3 representative districts, that to the extent possible preserve school complex and community boundaries; provides that thereafter the Reapportionment Commission shall in a reapportionment year redraw school district boundaries consistent with statutory criteria and reapportioned districts.
”’Brennon Morioka is chair of the Hawaii Republican Party and can be reached via email at:”’ mailto:headquarters@gophawaii.com