LSHA still has Legislative goals and we need ALL LSHA members to help accomplish them.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES FOR THE 2010 REGULAR SESSION

Last updated

6/19/10

Senator Nevers proposed an amendment for $16,250,000 to reimburse local school systems for salary supplements to all nationally certified personnel. He testified on the Senate floor that these funds would come out of the Department of Education's general fund. The amendment passed with a vote of 24 to 14. Funding is presently back in HB1. It is time now to thank our Senators and especially thank Senator Nevers!

The next step in the process will be in the hands of Governor Jindal. He will have an opportunity to keep this amendment or veto it.

HB 1 will be special order of the day on the senate floor on Friday, June 18, 2010.

All amendments put in the bill by the HOR have been CUT. Including salary supplements for school psychologist, speech & language Audiologist & Pathologist and school social workers.

To All:

CALL YOU SENATORS NOW. Get a support commitment. Don't take no for an answer. Cuts were made to duplicate contracts in the DOE to cover this appropriation. This is a commitment the state made to you for your higher level of services to the students and the school systems.

EMAIL YOUR SENATORS NOW. Ask for their support commitment.

Our funding of the salary supplements is supported by the Superintendents Association, the School Board Executive Association, the Louisiana School Board Association, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and the Louisiana Association of Educators. Plus, the Louisiana School Psychological Association, The Louisiana School Social Workers Association, The Louisiana Speech & Language Audiologist & Pathologist Association, The Louisiana Educational Diagnostician's Association.

Senator Nevers will offer an amendment to replace the funds when the bill comes to the senate floor. Ask your senator to support this proposed amendment.

If you watch the senate chamber video during the hearing on the bill, the Department of Education is Schedule 19. That is when the amendment will be offered.

PLEASE do not let this opportunity pass without your best effort. This may be the last chance we get to secure the funding this year!

LSHA Legislative Update:

Now that HB 1 has passed the House, (please be sure and thank Representative Pope) it is being referred to Senate Finance where it will be changed significantly again. Senate Finance has been meeting and hearing from the Commissioner of Administration and the Department Heads about the effect of the amendments added by Appropriations. Senate Finance will only have about a week to work on HB 1 before Finance will have to report it out so the full Senate can debate it – no later than June 18.

History...

Initially, the House Appropriations Committee approved an amendment budgeting $8.7 million to pay the state-approved stipends for full-time teachers, administrators and guidance counselors who have earned national certification. The vote to approve the amendment was 23 to one. On the house floor, Representative Nancy Landry argued that we only pay membership fees and that our state licensure is the same as our national licensure. However, Representative Pope offered an amendment that

“Provided, however, that of the funds included in the Total Means of Finance appropriated to Schedule 19-678, State Activities, $7,550,000 shall be allocated for reimbursements to school systems for providing salary supplements to the following: school psychologists having certain credentials issued by the National School Psychology Certification Board; school social workers having certain certificates issued by the National Association of Social Workers; and school speech-language pathologists and audiologists having certain certificates issued by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association”; 6-4-2010; passed by a vote of 64-31.

Members can contact their senators and again request funding of the salary supplement. We want the amendment to stay in HB 1 that has been approved for our salary supplement.

HB 1 is going to Senate Finance Committee first…

Senate Finance Committee:

Finance Committee

Committee Members
Senator Michael J. "Mike" Michot (Chairman) P.O. Box 80372 Lafayette, LA 70598	(337) 262-1332 lasen23@legis.state.la.us
Senator Lydia P. Jackson (Vice-Chairman) 330 Marshall Street Suite 706 Shreveport, LA 71101	(318) 676-7029 jacksonl@legis.state.la.us
Senator John A. Alario, Jr. 1063 Muller Parkway Westwego, LA 70094	(504) 340-2221 alarioj@legis.state.la.us
Senator Sharon Weston Broome P. O. Box 52783 Baton Rouge, LA 70892	(225) 359-9352 lasen15@legis.state.la.us
Senator Sherri Smith Cheek 9973 Mansfield Road Keithville, LA 71047	(318) 687-4820 smithcheek@legis.state.la.us
Senator Jack Donahue 3030 East Causeway Approach Mandeville, LA 70448	(985) 727-7949 donahuej@legis.state.la.us
Senator Eric LaFleur P.O. Box 617 Ville Platte, LA 70586	(337) 363-5019 lafleure@legis.state.la.us
Senator Gerald Long P.O. Box 151 Winnfield, LA 71483	(318) 628-5799 longg@legis.state.la.us
Senator Edwin R. Murray 1540 N. Broad St. New Orleans, LA 70119	(504) 945-0042 murraye@legis.state.la.us
Senator John R. Smith 611-B South 5th Street Leesville, LA 71446	(800) 259-2709 smithj@legis.state.la.us
Senator Mike Walsworth 4007 White's Ferry Rd Suite A West Monroe, LA 71291	(318) 396-5499 walsworthm@legis.state.la.us
Senator Dan Claitor (Interim Member) 7520 Perkins Road Suite 170 Baton Rouge, LA 70808	(225) 765-0206 claitord@legis.state.la.us
Senator Willie L. Mount (Interim Member) P.O. Box 3004 Lake Charles, LA 70602	(337) 491-2016 lasen27@legis.state.la.us
Senator Francis Thompson (Interim Member) P.O. Box 68 Delhi, LA 71232	(318) 878-9408 thompsof@legis.state.la.us

Then HB 1 will be moving to a full Senate vote…

Contact your Senators! Phone calls make more of an impact if you have the time.

LSHA MEMBERS,

I would like to ask you to begin making contacts with the Appropriations Committee as well as the Education Committee to encourage support for the proposed bills by Representatives Pope, Harrison, and Senator Nevers.

HB 274 - POPE Provides for appropriations of funds for the state reimbursement to school boards for the payment of salary adjustments for Nationally Certified Teachers, School Counselors, School Psychologists, School Social Workers, and School Speech-Language Pathologists. Referred to Appropriations.

SB 489 - NEVERS Requires the Department of Education to reimburse local school boards annually for payment of the $5,000 salary supplements to Nationally Certified Teachers, school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, and school speech-language pathologists. Referred to Education.

HB 311 - HARRISSON Provides funding to the Department of Education to implement the $5,000 salary supplement for Nationally Certified Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists beginning with fiscal year 2010-2011. Referred to Appropriations

Anyone making direct contact or getting responses from the appropriations or education committee needs to send me that information to legislation@lsha.org or complete the legislative contact form!

LSHA MEMBERS,

I would like to ask you to take a moment to thank Representatives Pope, Harrison, and Senator Nevers for their proposed bills that would support our salary supplement. Please note that Senator Nevers' bill will be a holistic solution to our continual fight and create equality among nationally certified personnel.

HB 274 - POPE Provides for appropriations of funds for the state reimbursement to school boards for the payment of salary adjustments for Nationally Certified Teachers, School Counselors, School Psychologists, School Social Workers, and School Speech-Language Pathologists. Referred to Appropriations.

SB 489 - NEVERS Requires the Department of Education to reimburse local school boards annually for payment of the $5,000 salary supplements to Nationally Certified Teachers, school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, and school speech-language pathologists. Referred to Education.

HB 311 - HARRISSON Provides funding to the Department of Education to implement the $5,000 salary supplement for Nationally Certified Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists beginning with fiscal year 2010-2011. Referred to Appropriations

Kimberly Stafford

Legislative Liaison

legislation@lsha.org

Forms of Interest:

SUBCOMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Letter from ASHA President

Salary Supplement Legislative Success Chart

Academic, Clinical and Exam Requirements for the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in Speech-Language Pathology

Academic, Clinical and Exam Requirements for the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in Audiology

Side-By-Side Comparison (Teacher Certification vs. SLP Certification) Requirements

ACT 952

State of Louisiana Legislative Website

Comparison Chart of National Certifications for all Professions

WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW???

CAN WE TALK? TIPS FOR MEETING WITH LEGISLATORS

While it may sound intimidating, a five-minute meeting is all it takes to build a valuable relationship with a legislator. Legislators want to hear from constituents, and face-to-face meetings in the district are much more effective than form letters, e-mails, etc. When meeting with your legislator:

Introduce yourself.
If asked why you wanted to meet with them, state that you are becoming more active in your state organization's legislative efforts.
Briefly explain what it is that you do as an audiologist or SLP.
You may give them copies of any brochures or fact sheets on SLP and audiology services that you feel will be helpful.
Make them aware of the inequity in the situation regarding the salary supplement for public school audiologists and SLPs. While nationally certified guidance counselors, school psychologists, and classroom teachers receive an annual salary supplement in recognition of their achievement, school-based audiologists and SLPs do not. Act 952 of the 2003 Legislative Session provides for recognition of national (ASHA) certification, but the appropriation to fund a salary supplement for audiologists and speech-language pathologists in Louisiana schools has not been made.
Try to ascertain their position (support or opposition) on funding for the salary supplement.
Tell them you will be contacting them again during the session. You might ask your legislators if they object to being contacted via e-mail.
Leave your business card, or write your name and a way to be contacted on the information you provide to the legislator.

AFTER THE MEETING:

After you've met with your representative or senator, please complete the Legislative Contact Form, or send an e-mail to legislation@lsha.org with the legislator's name, your name, the town in which you live, where you work, and whether the representative or senator is supportive of funding for the salary supplement.
Follow-up by sending them a thank you note for meeting with you.

DO NOT:

Try to impress the legislator with professional jargon, demean the role of other educators that receive the salary supplement, or take a negative or argumentative approach.
Ask the legislator to support a bill which is already a law. Act 952 passed four years ago and was a major legislative accomplishment. National (ASHA) certification of public school speech-language pathologists and audiologists has already been recognized by the Louisiana legislature. What has not occurred is funding for the salary supplement. Funding would be accomplished by inclusion of the salary supplement in House Bill 1 (the annual budget for the State of Louisiana).

BE AN ADVOCATE! GET INVOLVED!!!!!!

Legislative INFO was last updated

June 19, 2010