Posts in this space will continue to analyze the results of the 2009 Regular Session.
Obviously there is a great deal of significance to community and technical colleges in various bills that passed and were sent to the governor. But it is noteworthy that a number of highly portentous measures didn't make it. Interestingly, some were sponsored by influential senators and representatives, and supported by powerful forces in the state such as the Governor's Business Council. One explanation for these casualties might be that this particular Session was…well, different. The word "chaotic" kept creeping into media reports and blogs covering the events of 2009, especially in the House.
Following are several "dead" bills of particular interest to two-year colleges. Most deal with subjects that will likely return in 2011— "zombies" that could rise again.
Incentive Funding
This issue is highly fashionable nationwide, but there is considerable controversy over whether such efforts toward enhanced efficiency in higher education have made any difference in other states. The most significant effort here in Texas was sponsored by Rep. Geanie Morrison (R-Victoria), and Sen. Florence Shaprio (R-Plano). You may want to have a look at the version that died in committee on the Senate side, after passing the House. Here's the text. Scroll down to the part about "community junior colleges." The measure uses a complex matrix for rewarding student "success" in a variety of forms: transfers, "at risk" student completion, degrees and certificates awarded, and enrollment in high priority fields such as the sciences and nursing.
Developmental Education "Overhaul"
Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund Paredes has argued repeatedly that developmental eduction needs a complete do-over. Changes are still likely via the Coordinating Board, but a bill to formulate a plan died in committee. The companion bills were sponsored by Rep. Morrison and Sen. Shapiro, as with the bill discussed above. The commissioner and Coordinating Board believe that developmental education should experiment with "best practices" that include funding for non-course based classes. Undoubtedly the issue will be with us for a long time.
Guns on Campus
There was plenty of national media coverage, student protests, and emotional testimony on a bill to allow licensed owners of concealed handguns to bring their weapons on campus. The idea being that a Virginia Tech-style shooting could be stopped if someone nearby was equipped to do something about it on the spot—and that this is a more likely scenario than added violence due to more guns on campus. A bill sponsored by Sen. Jeff Wentworth (R-San Antonio) passed the Senate, but died in Calendars in the House. There is no reason to presume the issue will go away any time soon.
The Health Insurance "Guinea Pig" Bill
Sen. Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock), late in the session, brought up a bill that would have created a pilot program within the Employees Retirement System (which governs health benefits for higher education employees and retirees) "to pay for services on a per-person basis, on a per-disease or health care need basis, on a performance basis, or on any combination thereof, in order to align payments with quality of care rather than quantity of care." Sen. Duncan wanted to experiment with a new way to reimburse providers, in an effort to save revenue. The bill passed the Senate and died in the House. It would be foolish to predict anything in the area of health insurance these days.
Criminal Background Checks
The official analysis for this bill cites statistics on violence at general academic institutions (which does not technically apply to community colleges) to justify an elaborate system of criminal background checks on anyone who applies for a job or promotion at institutions of higher education. The analysis doesn't say how many of these criminal acts were actually perpetrated by employees. Notwithstanding any concerns about civil liberties and whether or not two-year schools are included (the actual bill text seems to do so), the measure likely would have proved cumbersome and perhaps subject to charges of an "unfunded mandate" on schools. The measure was sponsored by Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands). It passed the Senate and died in the House.
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