Amendment Amendment?

by: Mike Hoefer

Thu May 01, 2008 at 23:46:27 PM EDT

Looks like Speaker Norelli has engineered an amendment to the Lynch Amendment that would keep court oversight in play.

Norelli said the new amendment would not stop any individual or community from challenging the constitutionality of the state's definition of adequacy or its aid system.

The Democratic speaker said weakening court oversight would be a deal-breaker for her party.

"Most Democrats in the House would not support that," she said.

Though future is uncertain...
Lynch

Lynch applauded the House for crafting an amendment that allows targeting, but did not say whether he supports its passage.

"I have to review it in more detail," he said.

"We have told the governor with a properly worded amendment we can deliver 120 votes," he said.

But Hess said the House leaders' proposal may not meet that test.

Poor odds

Over the past decade, 33 school funding amendments have died in the Legislature, Norelli said. Each house must pass an amendment by a three-fifths margin for it to reach voters, two-thirds of whom must endorse it for it to become part of the constitution.

More of the same?

Dean Michener, associate director of the New Hampshire School Boards Association, said the new amendment would return to that era {Claremont}.

"I see no protection here for the average district of the state. We would be back where we were similar to foundation aid," he said.

Kudos to Norelli for insuring court oversight remains, a point stuck in the craw of many I have spoken with about the issue. Only time will tell if it is enough to garner the needed support to get it out of the House.  And then, of course, if the solution is up to the problem.