Dear East Valley Families of Gifted Students,
We are key players in getting our members of the legislature to support the inclusion of gifted education in the state budget. Please read this important notice from AAGT!
Stephanie Newitt
President
Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted
Update: Despite all of our efforts to get HB2199 to be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee, it didn’t happen. The bill process is done. We now have to work at getting gifted funding into the budget. Reducing our ask from $3.5 million to $500,000 provides a more agreeable amount to get into the budget at this point. Then next year, we will be back for more!
We are grateful for the leadership of Representative Heather Carter who championed HB2199 so successfully; it passed through the House Education Committee with a unanimous vote in favor, and passed through the House Appropriations Committee and the House Committee of the Whole with near unanimity overwhelmingly in favor of restoring gifted education funds.
In the Senate, our friend, Senator Kate Brophy-McGee introduced mirror bill, SB1105. With the additional leadership of Senator Sylvia Allen, the Senate Education Committee unanimously voted in favor of restoring funds for gifted education. SB1105 did not go on to be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
OUR TASK ASAP:
Send emails to members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees to include $500,000 in the budget to support the reinstatement of funding for gifted education.
Even if you have contacted them before, this is a new ask, and it is important to remind them why this is important to you.
In addition, we are asking you to contact all leaders in both the House and Senate. If your Legislative District Senator and/or Representatives are not already on one of these lists, please contact them. Members of the Legislature value constituents’ opinions.
The lists of the Senate and House Appropriations Committee members are attached along with other leaders we need to reach. Ask your contacts to do the same and remember every email counts! It just could be your story, your compelling reason to have funding restored that makes a difference!
Thank you for your support!
Donna Campbell,
AAGT Advocacy Chair
dcampbell@azgifted.com
Click here for the google doc with the email addresses for the members of both the Senate and House Appropriation Committees.
Click here if you need help finding out who your legislators are.
Click here to visit the page of the GSG website regarding advocacy at the state level.
No comments:
Post a Comment