January 19, 2018- Bow, NH

From our perspective, the central event of the week was the hearing before the House Finance Committee regarding SB 193, the bill remove funds from public schools in order to fund home-schoolers and those sending children to private and religious schools.  The focus of the hearing was on the financial implications of the bill, not the policy itself, and after four hours of testimony it was rather clear the proposal will force the State and local taxpayers to foot the bill through new or increased taxes. 

The City Union of Baltimore
Invites CUB Represented WIC Staff and Supervisors
To meet on Saturday, February 3, 2018
Starting 11:30 a.m.
2117 N. Howard Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21218

Your attendance is desired.

BREAKING NEWS (4/6/2018)  Retired Correctional Officer will be added to the Maryland Public Safety Hometown Heroes Act. Beginning with tax year 2018, retired correctional officers who are 55 years old or older can subtract up to $15,000 of their public safety eligible pensions/retirement from their Maryland Taxable Income. This brings retired correctional officer equal to their other public safety (police, fire, and EMS) brothers and sisters for qualified Maryland income tax subtraction modification benefits. This legislation is past due and well deserved! The legislation now goes to Governor Hogan for signing and becomes law.

Click to read 

My name is Douglas Ley, and I am one of the members from Cheshire County, District 9, representing the towns of Dublin, Harrisville, Jaffrey, and Roxbury.  I am also president of American Federation of Teachers-NH, and I have filed all the requisite paperwork with the Legislative Ethics office and intend to participate in the discussion of HB1415.   

As we know, NH Statutes currently authorize a death benefit of $100,000 for families of police officers and firefighters killed in the performance of their duties.  That is a good thing, and I am proud to have helped pass that legislation.  Today, we consider establishing a similar death benefit for the families of school employees killed in the line of duty, and on behalf of AFT-NH I am here to voice our support for this proposed statutory addition.

Kick the year off right by reading this month's SABEA Newsletter.

http://sabea.ny.aft.org/sites/default/files/article_pdf_files/2018-01/sabea_nwsltr_jan18_final.pdf

Happy Holidays.  Here is the December SABEA Newsletter.

http://sabea.ny.aft.org/sites/default/files/article_pdf_files/2018-01/sabea_nwsltr_dec17.pdf

Access field tested strategies and resources from AFT members throughout the country.

[Note: The entire written testimony is provided but actual testimony was abbreviated due to time constraints and to avoid duplicate testimony. Per President Ley, many school boards, school board members, superintendents and policy experts tore into the bill in great and meticulous detail. AFT-NH applauds their efforts.]

Let me begin by offering my thanks to the Committee Chair and to the Finance Committee for taking the time to hear my testimony. 

For the record:  Douglas Ley, representing District 9-Cheshire County, towns of Dublin, Harrisville, Jaffrey, & Roxbury. In addition, I am here as president of American Federation of Teachers-NH, and have filed the requisite paperwork with the Legislative Ethics Office.

Speaking on behalf of myself and the 4,000 members of AFT-NH, I come before you in opposition to SB193.  The written report provided to you focuses upon financial aspects of SB193 and places the proposed program into a broader national context by looking at its financial provisions as compared to those in other states with similar Education Savings Accounts (ESAs).  Please read the report by clicking the link Following the Wrong Path.

Here is the file of comments from our contract planning survey:

http://cccft.wa.aft.org/sites/default/files/article_pdf_files/2018-01/contractplanningsurveycomments.pdf