Page 8 — THE CONWAY DAILY SUN, Tuesday, April 5, 2011
–––––––––––––––––––––– LETTERS ––––––––––––––––––––––
Definitely producing Ivy League material To the editor: I am writing this letter in support of the excellent education my children have received in this valley. My son George was the salutatorian of Kennett High School Class of 2009. He attends Princeton University and is enrolled in the School of Engineering and Applied Mathematics. One of his Kennett classmates is a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania. As you can see Mr. Marvel, the “spanking-new facility” you belittle is definitely producing Ivy League material. Many of George’s classmates are also attending well-known, prominent colleges. As a sophomore at Kennett, George scored very well on the biology SAT test. His only exposure to biology before that test was in Kennett’s advanced biology class. At Princeton he had strong grades in chemistry telling his dad and me that he had learned much of the material at Kennett in his advanced chemistry class. He definitely has had limited help from his dad and me. George is the first in both our families to attend a four-year college. Everything George learned before college, he learned at Kennett High School and the Josiah Bartlett School. We realized two years ago that as more and more high school graduates choose to attend college, the competition for admittance has become fierce. If you factor in the impacts of the socioeconomic profile of the valley along with the competition from elite high schools, it is extremely difficult for our graduates to win admittance to top colleges. During my son’s senior year at Kennett, an off-campus interview was arranged for George for a well-known college. When the interviewer for the New Hampshire area realized that George was not a Phillips-Exeter candidate, he refused to interview him. This is what our children are up against. The elite private schools and wealthy public schools have enormous influence over college admissions. Not only do these schools strive to ensure that they meet their admittance quotas to top colleges, but they make certain that their students are afforded educational opportunities that only a few Kennett students will ever experience. Our daughter Vicki is presently a senior at Ken-
nett and, like her classmates, is nervously anticipating the long-awaited college acceptance letters. Wherever she chooses to attend, I know that she will be as prepared as her brother when she goes off to college in the fall. Vicki has excelled academically and athletically at Kennett. She and 23 of her classmates recently received the NHIAA Scholar Athlete Award that requires high school seniors to have a B+ grade point average, letter and participate in two varsity sports, participate in community service and serve as role models to their peers. Many of her classmates have not only excelled academically, but also in the many extracurricular activities offered at Kennett. Nationally, 70 percent of high school graduates go on to either two or four-year colleges. Kennett’s Class of 2010 had 84 percent of its graduates go on to post-secondary education. It seems to me that Kennett is doing a very good job of encouraging our children to further their education by supporting so many of them to take the SAT tests and by holding financial aid nights aimed at making families aware that higher education can be affordable to all. The United States continues to lose ground worldwide in all areas of education. Mr. Sordi of the budget committee wants us all to “share the hurt.” The budget committee’s slash and burn policy is hurting the children of this valley, the ones who don’t yet have a voice in the community. Colleges are not only looking for students with good grades, but they want individuals that will contribute to that college’s community. The colleges are looking for committed students who participate in activities such as athletics, the arts and community service. We owe it to our children to provide the opportunity for a quality education that not only includes academics but the extracurricular activities needed to make them college material and well-rounded citizens. I believe that we have found that opportunity at Kennett High School. I would personally like to thank the Kennett High School teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, staff, coaches and volunteers. Karen Weigold Glen
Report from Concord
Karen Umberger
Constitutional amendments We have had a very busy last two weeks down in Concord. We met for three days the week of March 14 and two days the week of March 28. At the beginning of the session we establish deadlines for bills to be acted upon. March 17 was the deadline to act on all bills that did not go to a second committee, except budget bills. The result was we had over 250 bills that required votes by the 17th. Committees had been holding hearings and working on bills since early January. It never fails that lots of bills are on the calendar just before the deadline and this year was no different. There were 149 bills on the Consent Calendar. Individual Representatives removed 15 bills. The bills removed from the Consent Calendar are taken up once the Regular Calendar is completed. Some examples of the bills removed were HB 549, relative to driver’s license reexaminations. The committee had recommended ought to pass. This bill eliminates the requirement for all persons reaching the age of 75 to retest in order to keep their license. Following the debate the bill passed. HB 573, relative to the administration of certain pain relief medications by a school nurse was recommended by the committee as inexpedient to legislate. The committee had determined that this bill was not necessary as school nurses are allowed to administer certain over the counter medications providing the medications are included in school policy and providing there is parental consent. A motion was made to table the bill and it passed. The first bill we considered on the Regular Calendar was CACR 9, relating to parental rights. Providing the state shall not abridge the responsibilities of parents for health, education, and welfare of their children. A CACR is a constitutional amendment –concurrent resolution. The bill must pass the House by a three-fifths vote of the entire membership. To pass the House there needed to be 239 votes in favor of the Constitutional amendment. The first vote to be taken was on the Committee’s recommendation of inexpedient to legislate. The vote was 148 in favor and 183 opposed the motion failed. If you agreed with the committee’s recommendation you voted yea and if you did not you voted nay. Representatives Chandler and Umberger voted yea and Representatives McCarthy and Pettengill voted nay. A motion was then made ought to pass. An amendment was offered and it passed 219 in favor and 117 opposed. The amendment only required a majority vote. The motion on the floor was now ought to pass with amendment. Once again a roll call vote was requested. The vote was 212 in favor and 128 opposed the motion failed. Representatives Chandler, McCarthy and Pettengill voted in favor and Representative Umberger voted nay. Although a majority of the House voted in favor of the bill it did not pass because it failed to reach the 60 percent required for passage. A motion was then made to table the bill the vote was 221 in favor and 117 opposed. The motion failed as it required a 60 percent majority to table. A motion was then made to reconsider the bill. It failed 158 in favor and 186 opposed. This was an exciting start to our three days in session. The second Constitutional amendment we consider during the session was CACR 12 relating to funding of public education. The motion was ought to pass as amended. Again 239 Representatives had to vote in favor of the amendment in order for it to pass the House. The vote was 252 in favor and 113 opposed. All four of your representatives voted in favor of the CACR. The text of the Constitutional amendment is as follows: In fulfillment of the provisions with respect to education set forth
in Part II, Article 83, the general court shall have the authority and full discretion to define reasonable standards for elementary, and secondary public education, to establish reasonable standards of accountability therefor, and to mitigate local disparities in educational opportunity and fiscal capacity. Further, in the exercise thereof, the general court shall have full discretion to determine the amount of, and methods of raising and distributing, State funding for education. This CACR will now go to the Senate for public hearings and a vote in the Senate. I should point out that the Senate has also passed a CACR dealing with education which will come to the House for a public hearing and a vote. A third Constitutional Amendment Concurrent Resolution CACR 6 came before the House for a vote. This amendment was in relation to taxation. The CACR requires a three fifths vote on any bill to increase the rate of taxes and fees. The motion was ought to pass with amendment. There was very lively debate on this CACR as currently to increase or add a new tax or fee only requires a majority vote. The vote was 234 in favor and 118 opposed. The motion failed because it did not receive the required 239 votes. Representatives McCarthy, Pettengill and Umberger voted in favor and Representative Chandler opposed. Once the CACR failed a motion was made to table the bill. It passed 341 to 14. HB 540, relative to motor vehicle inspections was recommended as inexpedient to legislate by the Committee. The bill would change vehicle inspections from every year to every two years. There was some interesting debate on the bill. The vote on inexpedient to legislate failed on a vote of 126 in favor and 210 opposed. Representatives Chandler and Umberger supported the Committee’s recommendation of ITL and Representatives McCarthy and Pettengill opposed. Once the bill was defeated a motion was made of ought to pass. The motion passed 243 in favor and 101 opposed. Representatives McCarthy and Pettengill voted in favor and Representatives Chandler and Umberger opposed. The Committee’s recommendation was overturned. HB 457 reducing the interest rate on late and delinquent property tax payments, subsequent payments and other unpaid taxes. The Committee recommended inexpedient to legislate. The bill was to change the interest rate on delinquent taxes from 12 to 6 percent and after a lien is put on the property for unpaid taxes to change the rate from 18 to 9 percent. The first vote was by division, each representative pushes yes or no but how each person voted is not recorded. The vote was 133 in favor and 176 opposed. The motion failed. A new motion was made of ought to pass. This was accomplished by a voice vote and it passed. I have highlighted only the Constitutional amendments and two bills where the House overturned the committee’s recommendation. There was much debate on the many other bills, numerous roll call votes were requested, a couple of bills were returned to the committee and several bills were tabled. If you have specific questions on any of the bills that were voted on please don’t hesitate to call or send me an email at karenu@ncia. net and I will get back to you. Karen Umberger is a state representative for Carroll County District 1 representing Conway, Bartlett, Jackson, Hart’s Location, Hale’s Location and Chatham. She lives in Conway. E-mail her at karenu@ncia.net.