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k making students. d st d Dalton mentary School. ACTION Legislative Wrap-Up WEA Government Relations Director Ken Decaria WEA Government Relations Director Ken Decaria testifies against HB0159 (Teacher employment hearings). with legislators. The 2013 Legislative Session was different in many ways to previous years. Onethird of the Wyoming House members were newly elected. Many controversial bills were introduced and tensions ran high. A bill that changed the duties of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and several bills on social issues were discussed. Legislative leaders voiced their concerns at the end of the session because of the way some special interest groups communicated ���Even though there were many controversial issues, we continued to work well with legislators,��� said WEA Government Relations Director Ken Decaria. ���Our interactions with legislators were open and positive. Even when we had different positions, the interactions were professional.��� ���This institution is under attack, and I mean that seriously,��� said Senate President Tony Ross, R-Cheyenne, referring to the citizen legislature. ���When legislators receive death threats themselves or to their families, it is time for civility and it is time to act in a better fashion.��� House Speaker Rep. Tom Lubnau, R-Gillette, said he and other lawmakers who opposed or sought to amend the bills were the recipients of hundreds of e-mails attacking their character and actions. Many issues that were important to the members of the Wyoming Education Association were discussed as well. Education accountability was still at the forefront, along with bills that tried to change how teacher employment hearings are conducted and changes to the Hathaway Success Curriculum. Decaria was the main point person on the WEA Legislative Action Team, along with President Kathy Vetter, Executive Director Ron Sniffin, Professional Issues Director Kathy Scheurman, and Communications Director Coleen Haines. Through their efforts, this team lobbied on important issues of interest to members and monitored the progress of all pertinent legislation. The Legislative Action Team faced many challenges Spring 2013.indd 17 during this session, but overall, it was one of success.�� One important success was stopping a proposed change in how teacher employment hearings are done. HB 159 would have moved the hearing from before an independent hearing officer to the local school board. It would also have removed the requirement that the district superintendent have the burden of proof for termination of a teacher. ���It���s important that Wyoming stay with the process before the Office of Administrative Hearings because it���s better for employees in the long-term,��� explained Decaria. ���It���s important that these emotional issues be heard in an independent setting.��� WEA also worked to get K-12 employees included in the Retention Incentive that gave a one-time increase to salaries. The initial proposal excluded K-12 from the 1% incentive that included community college, University of Wyoming, and state employees. The Legislative Action Team worked on HB 250 ���Public Employee Retirement Plans���, along with our Coalition for a Healthy Retirement partners. Working together, the team and the rest of the coalition talked to legislators about providing additional funding for the Wyoming State Retirement System. Even though the session has come to an end, the work is far from over. A great deal of important work will happen during the interim, and the WEA Legislative Action Team will be following those discussions closely. The Select Committee on Education Accountability, along with the Advisory Committee, will be working on Phases I and II of education accountability. Additionally, the Joint Appropriations Interim Committee will be reviewing the Wyoming Retirement System and considering what additional changes may be needed. Offering many thanks to those that helped lobby on behalf of WEA and the issues it followed, Decaria concluded, ���Our association would not have been able to achieve what we did without your help. Together we made a positive difference.��� If you have any questions regarding any legislation from this session or would like any further information, please contact WEA Government Relations Director Ken Decaria at kdecaria@nea.org. SPRING 2013 | wyoea.org 17 3/11/13 2:48 PM