HARRISBURG, April 5, 2011 – State Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Delaware/Montgomery) expressed his extreme disappointment in the package of bills reported out of the Senate Education and Finance committees today. The bills, heralded as a package of “mandate relief” legislation, are in actuality a continued assault on Pennsylvania’s public education system, Leach said.
“Look at everything that’s been proposed by my fellow lawmakers so far this session. Gov. Corbett is proposing massive cuts to higher education; the Senate is poised to consider school vouchers; the Education Committee approved legislation requiring a two-thirds majority to raise property taxes; and the Finance Committee reported out a bill requiring a voter referendum to raise property taxes after the two-thirds majority quota has already been met. Together, these bills represent a full scale attack on education,” he said. “Where is the accountability? Where is the dedication to providing a quality education to Pennsylvania’s public school students?”
Touted as “a comprehensive legislative package intended to relieve schools of costly state mandates”, the bills covered issues including: requiring a two-thirds majority of school boards when considering raising property taxes, allowing districts to forgo filing non-essential reports to the Pennsylvania Department of Education in years when state education aid declines and waiving continuing education requirements for school districts that are succeeding and increasing the monetary threshold for bidding on contracts.
“This pack of bills is an affront to the public education system in Pennsylvania, and I am in disbelief that so many of my colleagues voted to run them through the legislative process,” Leach said. “I’ve already voiced my concerns about the school voucher program and the governor’s proposed education cuts, but today’s committee meeting has compelled me to once again speak out. I am disheartened by the way today’s meeting turned out and I hope for a better outcome the next time these bills are considered.”
The mandate relief bills will now head to other Senate committees or to the full Senate for consideration.
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