East Brunswick Education Association

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Pride in what we do!

In this update you will find the following:

In the Legislature Today...

Pension and Health Benefits Legislation on the Move! Stay Tuned for Potential Lobby Days!

NJEA Tenure Reform Proposal Officially Introduced

Articles of Interest: Toolkit, Newark's New Superintendent, School Funding

IN THE LEGISLATURE TODAY...

Acting Education Commissioner Chris Cerf will present his department's budget to The Senate
Budget & Appropriations Committee at 9:30 a.m.

The Assembly has a 1:00 p.m. voting session. The following bills are of interest to NJEA and are on
the agenda:

HIGHER ED TENURE CHANGES A-3357 (Lampitt, Wilson, Evans)

Revises the period of time required for a state or county college faculty member to
receive tenure.

NJEA POSITION: Oppose

If you would like to read the bill: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2010/BillsA3500/3357_I1.HTM

PUBLIC EMPLOYEES MUST LIVE IN NJ S-1730 (Norcross, O'Toole, Sacco, Moriarity,
Riley, Burzicelli, Fuentes, Wilson)

Requires certain public officers and employees to reside in State

NJEA POSITION: Initially NJEA opposed the bill but after winning amendments that
grandfather all current members NJEA took a neutral position. This purpose of the vote
is to concur with the Governor's conditional veto.

If you would like to read the current version of the bill:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2010/Bills/S2000/1730_R2.HTM

You can view the conditional veto at:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/201/Bills/S2000/1730_V1.HTM

PENSION AND HEALTH BENEFITS LEGISLATION ON THE MOVE!
STAY TUNED FOR POTENTIAL LOBBY DAYS!

Everyone wants to know when the legislature will take up pension and health benefits reform legislation.
The Senate President has promised it will happen this spring but he has not yet indicated specifically
when the legislation will move. We may only have a couple of days notice before a bill is posted in
committee. The best way to prepare, therefore, is simply to let you know the Assembly and Senate
schedules from now until June.

To make sense of the schedule below you will need to know which bills are in which committees and
to which group each committee belongs.

The pension reform bills are:

S-2696 (Sweeney). This bill has been referred to the Senate State Government, Wagering,
Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee which is a Group 4 committee.

A-3796 (O'Scanlon, Chiusano)/S-2705 (Pennacchio). These bills have been referred to the
Assembly State Government Committee, a Group D committee and the Senate State
Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee a Group 4 committee
respectively.

The health benefits bill that would require premium sharing is:

S-2718 (Sweeney). This bill has been referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations
Committee which is a Group 2 committee. At this time there is NO Senate companion.
While the Governor has talked about his own plan, it has not yet been introduced in the legislature.

To complicate matters further... IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT SENATOR SWEENEY INTENDS
TO MERGE PENSION AND HEALTH BENEFITS LEGISLATION INTO ONE BILL. Since we do not
know which will be the lead bill and which committee will hear it... we have attached the entire schedule.
Right now Committee consideration can potentially occur in Groups 2 and 4 in the Senate and
in Group 2 and 4 in the Senate and Group D in the Assembly. Once the bills are heard in committee,
all voting sessions become potential days when the bill or bills can move.

NJEA Government Relations will provide you with as much notice as we can once we hear a bill has been
placed on an agenda. In the meantime, all Group 2, 4, and D committee days and all voting sessions
should be considered potential lobby days.

Please note that this schedule is subject to change at any time. Legislative leaders can add committee
or voting sessions to these or other dates.

THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2011

SENATE QUORUM 12:00 PM Senate Chambers
10:00 AM: Group (1) Committees scheduled to meet
1:00 PM: Group (2) Committees scheduled to meet

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2011

SENATE QUORUM 12:00 PM Senate Chambers
10:00 AM: Group (3) Committees scheduled to meet
1:00 PM: Group (4) Committees scheduled to meet

ASSEMBLY QUORUM Assembly Chambers
10:00 AM: Group (A) Committees scheduled to meet
2:00 PM: Group (B) Committees scheduled to meet

MONDAY, MAY 23, 2011

SENATE SESSION 2:00 PM Senate Chambers
Voting Session: Board list to be announced

ASSEMBLY QUORUM Assembly Chambers
10:00 AM: Group (C) Committees scheduled to meet
2:00 PM: Group (D) Committees scheduled to meet

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2011

SENATE QUORUM 12:00 PM Senate Chambers
10:00 AM: Group (1) Committees scheduled to meet
1:00 PM: Group (2) Committees scheduled to meet

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011

SENATE QUORUM 12:00 PM Senate Chambers
10:00 AM: Group (3) Committees scheduled to meet
1:00 PM: Group (4) Committees scheduled to meet

MONDAY, JUNE 6, 2011

SENATE
Committees at the call of the Senate President

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011

SENATE SESSION 2:00 PM Senate Chambers
Voting Session: Board list to be announced

MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2011

SENATE QUORUM 12:00 PM Senate Chambers
10:00 AM: Group (1) Committees scheduled to meet
1:00 PM: Group (2) Committees scheduled to meet

ASSEMBLY QUORUM Assembly Chambers
10:00 AM: Group (A) Committees scheduled to meet
2:00 PM: Group (B) Committees scheduled to meet

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

ASSEMBLY QUORUM Assembly Chambers
10:00 AM: Group (C) Committees scheduled to meet
2:00 PM: Group (D) Committees scheduled to meet

MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2011

SENATE QUORUM 12:00 pm Senate Chambers
10:00 AM: Group (3) Committees scheduled to meet
1:00 PM: Group (4) Committees scheduled to meet

ASSEMBLY SESSION Assembly Chambers
Voting Session: Board list to be announced

THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2011

SENATE SESSION 2:00 PM Senate Chambers
10:00 AM: Committees at the call of the Senate President
Voting Session: Board list to be announced

ASSEMBLY SESSION Assembly Chambers
Voting Session: Board list to be announced

MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2011

SENATE SESSION 2:00 PM Senate Chambers
10:00 AM: Committees at the call of the Senate President
Voting Session: Board list to be announced

ASSEMBLY SESSION Assembly Chambers
Voting Session: Board list to be announced

THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2011

SENATE SESSION 2:00 PM Senate Chambers
10:00 AM: Committees at the call of the Senate President
Voting Session: Board list to be announced

ASSEMBLY SESSION Assembly Chambers
Voting Session: Board list to be announced

NJEA TENURE REFORM PROPOSAL OFFICIALLY INTRODUCED

A-3947 (Diegnan)/S-2861 (Rice)

SUMMARY:

This bill will require binding arbitration for contested cases involving the dismissal or reduction
in compensation of tenured empolyees of a school district.

The Commissioner of Education will continue to determine whether or not there is a contested
case.

If a determination is made that there is a contested case, an arbitrator will be assigned by the
commissioner to hear the case and make a final determination.

These contested cases will no longer be referred to Administrative Law Judges, and the final
determination on the case will no longer be made by the Commissioner of Education, which is
the process under current law.

The bill provides that the hearing before the arbitrator will be held within 60 days of the
assignment of the arbitrator to the case and that the arbitrator will render a decision within
30 days of the close of the hearing. The decision of the arbitrator will be deemed final and
binding, and will not be appealable to the Commissioner of Education or State Board of Education.

STATUS: The bill has been referred to the Assembly Education Committee. The Senate bill has not
yet been assigned a committee.

TO READ THE BILL GO TO: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2010/Bills/A4000/3947_I1.HTM

TO DO: Get as many legislators as possible to sign on as co-sponsors!

ARTICLES OF INTEREST:

Sweeney: 'Tool Kit' not the answer (GANNETT)

NEWARK'S NEW SUPERINTENDENT
Meet Newark's new school chief: A Conversation with Cami Anderson (STAR LEDGER)
Curvin: Cami Anderson is the white girl from Harlem (STAR LEDGER)

SCHOOL FUNDING
Askin: What if Christie defied court on school funding? (ASBURY PARK PRESS)

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