Committee advances broad government-restructuring bill after managers merge amendments, removes soil-classifier board

The State and Local Government Committee voted to give Senate Bill 2308 a do-pass recommendation as twice amended, advancing a package of changes that shift boards, programs and licensing authorities among state agencies.

The committee adopted amendment 02/2004, a managers’ amendment that merged prior changes, by a 6-0 roll call. The committee later approved a separate change to remove the state soil classifier board from the bill, also by 6-0. The final committee vote to recommend the bill as twice amended was 5-1.

Why it matters: the amendment package moves several duties and boards among state agencies — including transferring responsibility for the statewide longitudinal data system (SLEDS) from the Superintendent of Public Instruction to the Information Technology Department (ITD), moving on-site wastewater…