This is what we do know, for now.
A special session of the state Legislature will resume at
2 p.m Monday at the state Capitol.
We also now know — barring an overnight breakthrough on public education reform issues — the resumption of this special session will be limited to fixing and again approving bills vetoed by the governor for technical flaws.
Up until about a week ago, we were under the impression, lawmakers would be gaveling in the resumption of a special session that began immediately after the regular session ended March 9 on public education.
The resumption of this session and what it would consider on its agenda was already assumed until recently. Then we were led to believe this special session would deal with up to a dozen bills, among about 30, the governor vetoed because of technical reasons.
That made sense because this special session coincided with two-day, regularly scheduled legislative interim meetings, which should fit that bill. An education reform package is going to take longer than two days.
However, Thursday the Senate president said the special session on public education will not start for a couple of weeks. We are still wary of that timing, but that’s no indication we oppose many of the reforms on the radar.
The governor’s original special-session call, issued March 7 and gaveled into session and immediately recessed March 9 — the end of the regular session — limited the agenda to two items: Improving the public education system and making necessary appropriations to cover the costs of the session.
The governor still needs to amend his call before Monday to include reconsideration of the vetoed bills.
A built-in framework of consensus is essential before any special session begins. It’s apparent the Republican leadership in the Legislature is still searching for that consensus. Judging by recent statements by the Democrats’ leadership and teachers and school service personnel unions, there is still no such consensus on education reform.
A special session costs $35,000 a day and knowing most of us have no knowledge of what the legislative leadership has in mind is a nonstarter.
On March 10 we recommended a cooling-off period in this “crisis,” that despite some concerns, it doesn’t require an immediate remedy. A reset of everyone’s position before the 2020 session would be time enough to settle this issue, or not.
If there were delicate, behind the scenes negotiations going on with all the stakeholders, we would understand the push to advance this special session in June
Or there was a general consensus of, “Don’t I know it,” about the need for education reform.
Instead, many of us are simply still left to think, “I don’t know about this, yet.”
