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Senate approves K‑12 supplemental funding and boosts CHIP funding from tobacco settlement
Summary
The Senate adopted a supplemental education measure boosting the weighted pupil unit and approved use of non‑lapsing funds for adult education; separately, it approved a transfer of $3.3 million from the tobacco settlement to expand the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
The Senate took up several education and health funding measures. Senator Stevenson presented House Bill 382, a supplemental minimum school program finance act that increases the weighted pupil unit by 4.5 percent, raises classroom supply money, and grants an extra $50 to first‑year teachers on steps 1–3. Senator Hale successfully moved an amendment (by division) to allow the State Board of Education to use up to $1,000,000 in uncommitted non‑lapsing balances to fund adult education programs; senators debated the risk of drawing on non‑lapsing balances that have been counted in budget calculations.
Separately, Senator Knudson presented House Bill 114 to transfer $3.3 million from the tobacco settlement fund to the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The bill was described as leveraging a federal match (roughly 4:1) to cover approximately 12,000 additional children; the sponsor said no general‑fund dollars would be used and that available federal matching dollars remained. The Senate passed both HB382 (27 yes, 0 no, 2 absent on final action) and HB114 (27 yes, 0 no, 2 absent), referring them to the House for final processing.
What happens next: HB382 and HB114 were returned to the House for the Speaker's signature and further action; the adult‑education non‑lapsing fund access and the CHIP expansion will be implemented through the respective state agencies and coordinated with existing federal matching programs.
