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Amend the Joint Order in the first Ordered paragraph in the 2nd line by inserting after the following: "Special Education Costs" the following: 'and To Develop a Proposal To Increase State Participation in Collective Bargaining with Teachers and School Employees'
Amend the Joint Order in the first Ordered paragraph by striking out all of subsections 1 and 2 and inserting the following:
‘1. Work Group To Plan the Transition to Funding Fifty-five Percent of Education Costs and One Hundred Percent of Special Education Costs and To Develop a Proposal To Increase State Participation in Collective Bargaining with Teachers and School Employees established. Notwithstanding Joint Rule 353, the Work Group To Plan the Transition to Funding Fifty-five Percent of Education Costs and One Hundred Percent of Special Education Costs and To Develop a Proposal To Increase State Participation in Collective Bargaining with Teachers and School Employees, referred to in this order as "the work group," is established.
2. Membership.  The work group consists of the following members:
A. The President of the Senate shall appoint:
(1) Nine members of the Senate, including:
(a) Three members from each of the 2 parties holding the largest number of seats in the Legislature who are members of the Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs, the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation or the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs;
(b) The Senate chair and the Senate lead serving on the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs;
(c) The Senate chair and the Senate lead serving on the Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs; and
(d) The Senate chair and the Senate lead serving on the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation;
(2) A representative of the Maine School Management Association;
(3) A representative of the Maine Association for Charter Schools;
(4) A representative of the Maine Education Association;
(5) A representative of the Maine Principals' Association; and
(6) The mayor of a municipality with over 8,000 citizens; and
B. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint:
(1) Seven members of the House of Representatives, including:
(a) At least one member of the Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs;
(b) At least one member of the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation; and
(c) At least one member of the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs;
(2) A representative of the Maine Charter School Commission;
(3) A representative of Homeschoolers of Maine;
(4) A representative of the Maine Special Education Administrators;
(5) A representative of the Maine Municipal Association; and
(6) A representative of Disability Rights Maine.
 
The work group shall invite the participation of the Commissioner of Education.’
Amend the Joint Order in the first Ordered paragraph by inserting after subsection 5 the following:
‘The work group shall review the existing laws and policies governing the respective duties and responsibilities of school administrative units and the State with respect to labor negotiations with teachers and school administrative unit employees that are covered by collective bargaining and shall develop a proposal to enlarge the role of and increase the participation of the State in the process.’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment expands to 26 the number of work group members and expands the duties of the work group to include developing a proposal to enlarge the role of and increase the participation of the State in collective bargaining with teachers and school employees.