The Arkansas Senate on Thursday approved Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ sweeping Education plan despite bipartisan requests to slow down the legislative process.

Senate Bill 294, also called the Teaching Act, stems from Sanders’ campaign promise to make major changes to the state’s education system. The law covers teacher pay, school safety, career readiness, literacy, “education”, school choice, and a host of other topics.

Bill sponsor Senator Brynn Davis (R-Russellville) said Arkansas students are the priority of the legislation.

“They are the future of our state and we believe every child should have access to a quality education that fits their educational path,” Davis said.

The 144-page bill was introduced late Monday night, about 40 hours before a Senate education committee hearing on Wednesday.

After more than five hours of testimony, the bill passed committee and entered the Senate floor on Thursday, where lawmakers debated the bill for another hour and a half.

The Senate approved SB 294 by a vote of 25 to 7, with one voting senator present and two not voting.

“Thank you to the Arkansas Senate for passing Arkansas LEARNS with strong support,” Sanders said in a statement. “Let’s get it in the House of Representatives and sign it into law that will change education in Arkansas and serve as a model for educational success across the nation.”

The bill will then be considered by the House Education Committee. Chairman Brian Evans (R-Cabot) said this week that he would tentatively set out a special operating procedure for the February 28 committee meeting in anticipation of a large crowd to speak on the bill.

PAUSE PLEASE

Sen. Brian King (R-Green Forest) said the speed with which the education plan is moving through the Legislature worries his constituents, who say the process seems rushed. Davis said discussions on the bill have been ongoing for months and lawmakers are following standard procedure.

Senator Reginald Murdoch (D-Marianne) disagreed, saying it was not normal to vote on one bill that touches on several important topics. Davis replied that it was the Comprehensive Education Bill.

“There are a lot of people who want to vote on what your process has put in the situation,” Murdoch said. “The enormity of this bill, the complexity of this bill, the many questions it raises, that’s a big part of the problem.”

Murdoch said the only reason the bill didn’t go into committee on Wednesday was because Davis promised the House would make multiple proposed changes to a single amendment.

Senator Jimmy Hickey (R-Texarkana) delivered an impassioned speech on Thursday expressing his displeasure that the bill was not amended in the Senate before sending it to the House of Representatives. Hickey said he had several issues that could be addressed by the amendments, such as making institutions more accountable for taxpayer money.

SB 249 proposes the creation of an “Arkansas Children’s Educational Freedom Accounts Program” that will allow public funding to be used as vouchers for private schools or other educational expenses such as homeschooling, supplies, or tutoring.

Hickey noted that the House of Representatives could renege on the promise to resolve all Senate issues with an amendment if one of those issues cost them the votes they need to pass the bill, and “at that point, the House of Representatives controls the Senate,” he said. .

“There isn’t a person in this room who doesn’t think we won’t pass this education bill,” Hickey said. “There are a ton of things that I like, but when they come back and we have 16 more arguments and fights and we’re rougher with each other, you know what’s going to happen? We’re going to say, “Just hand it out and let’s get out of here.” I ask you not to let this happen today.”

Senator Alan Clark (R-Lonsdale) said he liked most of the bill but knew not everyone would be happy with the final product.

“That being said, all these senators who have been talking about the process are not only right, you know they are right,” he said.

Clarke said he learned to respect the legislative process because both friends and opponents find what makes the bill better. Clarke said that as much as he loves the education package, he is disappointed with how lawmakers are going to pass it.

“As important as it is, we have to do it right,” he said. “We can’t afford to fail, and we need feedback from our educators, we need feedback from our legislators, we need to get this process right.”

FINANCIAL QUESTIONS

The senators said the bill’s delay would allow time for answers to questions, such as how many of the bill’s proposals would be funded.

The Arkansas Department of Education estimates that the law will cost $297 million in its first year and $343 million in its second year of implementation.

The plan will require $250 million in new government spending by fiscal year 2025, according to the ministry’s projections. The state already spends more than $2 billion annually on public education.

The most expensive part of the plan is an increase in teachers’ salaries, roughly $180 million a year.

While the bill raises the state’s minimum wage for teachers to $50,000, it removes the mandatory teacher pay scale that rewards more experienced teachers. Joint Budget Committee co-chair Senator Jonathan Disman (R-Beebe) said counties are expected to create their own payroll schedules.

“We are restoring some local control and local authority to our board members and instructing them, as elected officials, to properly wield that authority,” he said. “If we find out otherwise, we have the opportunity, I think, to tighten the reins.”

SB 294 does not provide for pay increases for classified personnel, but Dismang said that would be considered separately as lawmakers increase funding per student.

The second most costly provision of the Learning Act is the Education Freedom Account, which will cost $46.7 million next year and $97.5 million next year.

The program, which will be fully implemented in three years, is expected to rise to $175 million in 2026, according to budget officials.

Disman said he was worried about the program’s third year because there are many unknowns, such as how many schools will participate and how many students will apply.

King said he was concerned about the governor’s plan to pass legislation affecting education, Medicaid and the corrections system during these “difficult economic times.”

“All this new money looking to grow, all these things, those that concern me,” King said.

Dismang agreed that there is more to consider in the state budget, but said he has not seen a balanced budget proposal from the current administration and does not know when lawmakers will receive one.

Former Gov. Asa Hutchinson submitted a balanced budget proposal before leaving office in January.

By launching SB 294 early in the session, lawmakers showed a commitment to addressing the issue of education, and “it will come at a cost,” Dismang said.

“We are not in a vacuum, according to Senator King… this will limit our options and how we will accelerate the income tax cut here in Arkansas, but again, we have said that this is a priority and I agree with this priority,” – he said.

Sanders pledged to reduce the state income tax burden during her campaign.

“I think we need to be careful about how we spend current dollars and what we do with these current dollars through tax cuts, and I think you will see a good, active and healthy debate about what we are doing. for the budget because in general,” Dismang said.

Part of the education package’s funding will come from the government’s Educational Adequacy Fund, which Dismang says is growing at a pace that it can afford.

The new money will come from income stabilization, and the American Rescue Plan Act funds will be one-time money used to support the intensive literacy coaches proposed in the Teaching Act.

In January, the Governor issued an executive order abolishing the ARPA Steering Committee, which was created by her predecessor to review funding requests and refer approved projects to legislators for review.

“I think there is a reasonable attempt to make sure that everything we do can be funded by current revenues and not lump sum funds, that’s the goal,” Disman said.

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