Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Appropriations panel amends, approves CareerTech 2019 funding package and advances item to the floor
Loading...
Summary
The Appropriations - Education and Environment Division approved an amendment to the Career and Technical Education (CareerTech) 2019 funding item that adds one-time and ongoing funding lines, then voted to advance the amended item to the Senate floor.
The Appropriations - Education and Environment Division voted to adopt an amendment to the CareerTech 2019 funding item and then moved the amended item forward to the Senate floor.
Why it matters: The committees amendment adds one-time and ongoing funding for career and technical education programs across K-12 and regional centers, expands money for workforce training and virtual-reality career-exploration hardware, and clarifies FTE-pool treatment for CareerTech positions. The move keeps the line item on track for further action on the Senate floor.
Senator Schneidler presented the amendment and walked the committee through the bills footnotes and funding priorities. The amendment retained a $1.7 million line that may be moved later for adult farming programs, clarified that CareerTech positions are part of the vacant FTE pool, and confirmed federal matching rates for program reimbursement (27 percent for high-school-based classes; 40 percent for regional CareerTech centers). Footnote changes included adding $3 million for new and expanding programs, $100,000 to Marketplace for Kids (increasing that allocation), $750,000 for workforce training programs (bringing that total to $3,250,000), and $1 million in one-time funding for virtual-reality career-exploration hardware.
After discussion, the committee moved the amendment. The roll call on the amendment recorded unanimous ayes from members present: Chairman Zorveg (Aye); Senator Thomas (Aye); Senator Connolly (Aye); Senator Meyer (Aye); and Senator Scheibaly (Aye). The chair then moved a do-pass recommendation on the amended 2019 CareerTech item; the committee again recorded aye votes from the same members and carried the item to the floor. Senator Scheibaly was designated to present the item to the full Senate.
The committee asked members to review the long budget sheets circulated at the meeting and noted a heavy schedule of hearings for the following day, including additional bills tied to higher education and industrial commissions. The CareerTech item will proceed to the Senate floor as amended.
