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51 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, May 7, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 6, 2005 Proposal seeks earlier consideration for K-12 budget By DON JEPSEN for the Mail Tribune SALEM — The old adage that there’s more than one way to skin a cat was demonstrated Thursday by Sen. Jason Atkinson, R-Central Point. Frustrated in his attempt to get the Senate to act on his proposal for a constitutional amendment requiring early approval of the massive K-12 schools budget, Atkinson turned to the House. The strategy paid off. Rep. Dennis Richardson, R-Central Point, agreed to sponsor House Joint Resolution 51 requiring the Legislature to have the education budget on the governor’s desk by the 81st day of the session, roughly around May 1. Failure to do so would result in suspension of legislative pay and per diem until resolution is reached on school spending. After a brief hearing, the House Elections and Rules Committee sent the proposal for a floor vote. Richardson said he was optimistic the measure will pass the House. HJR 51 would still have to win Senate approval. Advertisement Atkinson and Richardson were the only witnesses. For whatever reason, Atkinson said, the K-12 budget is always the last, or near-to-last, appropriation to pass the Legislature. In 2003 it was approved on Aug. 26, the 226th day of the longest session in history. That left school districts struggling to set their spending plans based on assumptions, Atkinson noted. "It’s the same story every session," Atkinson said. "A governor puts out a very low number, then walks away." He said the same is true with the education lobby, which is always hoping for more dollars for schools. "The whole story is delay, delay, delay, hoping that more money will be available," said Atkinson. Meanwhile, school districts have no firm numbers to set budgets that begin in July. Richardson, a former school board budget committee chairman, said it is better that districts know early on what they have to spend, rather than waiting around hoping their budgets will increase with each new revenue forecast. Atkinson said in response to a question that nothing would preclude the Legislature from adding to the school appropriation if revenues improve after the 81st day. The usual keystone forecast is the one that comes in May. "The process is broken," Atkinson said, adding an early decision on school funding would burnish the Legislature’s image. "Accountability would be there if we improved the process," he said. The proposed constitutional amendment would be referred to the voters in the 2006 general election. Atkinson introduced his idea at the beginning of the 2005 session. It was referred to the Senate Rules Committee in early February and has yet to be heard. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Paris Hilton Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans Tatoo tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoos Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Advertisement s