by Chris Kulow | Sep 30, 2020 | Federal Issue, Legislative Update Blog
Reporting from The Hill indicates negotiations have been picking up between Speaker Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Mnuchin who is the White House negotiator on a COVID-19 stimulus package.
“Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin were expected to meet in Pelosi’s office in the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon, their first in-person meeting on the coronavirus in weeks. Both sides have hinted at progress in recent days, sparking some hopes that an eleventh-hour agreement will emerge after two months of stalled negotiations.”
The article details comments made by Democratic members of the House of Representatives and the Treasury Secretary indicating both sides are hopeful a deal is within reach. It also comes as 175 organizations representing local governments and private businesses signed on to a letter urging action on a stimulus package before the election. Stay tuned.
by Chris Kulow | Sep 30, 2020 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
The WASB, working with other K-12 advocates, is asking the state legislature to reconvene this fall to take up targeted and temporary statutory flexibilities for school districts to address issues raised by the COVID-19 pandemic. To that end, we recently sent the following letter to legislative leaders:
Letter To Leadership On COVID 19 Statutory Flexibilities
Please let us know if there are other areas where your district could benefit from flexibility during the pandemic. While it is a long shot that the legislature comes back into session before January, we need to make sure they are aware of these issues.
by Chris Kulow | Sep 28, 2020 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue, WASB
The Office of School Safety has announced a newly updated 6th Edition of the Safe Schools Legal Resource Manual is now available for download here: https://www.doj.state.wi.us/office-school-safety/school-safety-resources.
Many of the issues addressed in the manual will also be discussed in a WASB webinar tomorrow:
Webinar: Interactions with Law Enforcement, Part 2: The Legal Considerations, Sept. 29, 10 am
Whether or not they have a school resource officer, schools will need to work with law enforcement. This legal webinar explores issues such as parent notification, staff presence during interviews with agency personnel, student rights, searches and more.
Registration: Not Required
by Chris Kulow | Sep 25, 2020 | Federal Issue, Legislative Update Blog
From the National School Boards Association (NSBA):
Education Week (9/24, Blad) reports a HHS plan released Sept. 16 outlines “how it will quickly work with states to distribute doses when an effective vaccine is identified.” The first wave of vaccinations “may include people with health vulnerabilities, the elderly, and health care providers who work with COVID-19 patients.” Next, the second wave “may include people at increased risk of acquiring or transmitting COVID-19, which includes employees of schools, child-care centers, colleges, and universities.” Such a proposal will “help address concerns of educators in some areas who’ve expressed hesitation about returning to in-person learning while virus rates remain high.” The federal plan also calls on states and local health officials to work with a variety of organizations, including schools, to provide vaccines to the general public as quickly as it comes available. (more…)
by Chris Kulow | Sep 23, 2020 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
From the governor’s office: “Gov. Tony Evers today announced that more than $5 million of funding from the federal CARES Act will be awarded for the expansion of high-speed, broadband internet. Funding will be awarded by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) to applicants from the 2020 broadband expansion grants that did not receive funding and are able to connect customers by December 30, 2020, and satisfy the requirements of the federal CARES Act.
“The PSC houses the state Broadband Office, which administers the state’s Broadband Expansion Grant Program that provides grant funding to organizations, internet service providers, and local governments to expand in areas of the state that are underserved and unserved.”
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