KFDM COOP Posted May 14, 2007 Report Posted May 14, 2007 Update on Senate Bill 1943 (Relating to allowing participation of Private Schools in U.I.L. Sponsored Activities)S.B. 1943 by Dan Patrick has been passed by the Senate and on Friday night, May 11 was passed out of the House Public Education Committee. The bill will be on the House Floor for debate sometime within the next two weeks. It is imperative that we contact our state representatives and strongly oppose opening the U.I.L. membership to private schools. If passed the language in this bill would destroy a level playing field for U.I.L. member schools. We are asking each of you to contact your representative through the following website link: www.assistantcoach.net/poe as well as taking the time to call. One of the most effective things that you can do is to take the time to add that final personal touch of a handwritten note. With only two weeks left in the legislative session this year, it is critical that you contact your state representative to urge immediate action. The quicker that you respond to this the better! (Forward this message to a friend, parent, fan, booster club, community leaders, etc.) Sincerely,D.W. RutledgeExecutive Director Texas High School Coaches Association
PURPLE 4EVER Posted May 14, 2007 Report Posted May 14, 2007 Thanks for the update...Hopefully the bill won't make it through.Do you know what the vote count was in the senate???
tvc184 Posted May 15, 2007 Report Posted May 15, 2007 Thanks for the update...Hopefully the bill won't make it through.Do you know what the vote count was in the senate???28-3
tvc184 Posted May 15, 2007 Report Posted May 15, 2007 S.B. 1943 by Dan Patrick has been passed by the Senate and on Friday night, May 11 was passed out of the House Public Education Committee. The bill will be on the House Floor for debate sometime within the next two weeks. According to the House calender, the House version of the bill was still in committee as of 5-11-07. Maybe the page has not been updated. The Senate version was amended from the original bill so the House must not only debate the bill but also debate the changes made by the Senate. If they are going to introduce the bill on the floor of the House in the next two week, they had better hurry. The session ends in 13 days.
tvc184 Posted May 16, 2007 Report Posted May 16, 2007 Yesterday SB1943 was sent to the House Committee Coordinator and was today sent to Calenders for a hearing date. No date has been set.
KFDM COOP Posted May 17, 2007 Author Report Posted May 17, 2007 AUSTIN — The House version of a bill to let private schools into the Texas public school athletic league would force even the smallest to compete in the large divisions and likely would discourage most from making the jump.The Senate has approved cracking open the University Interscholastic League to private schools, but the House version — which could get a vote this week — would require them to play in Class 4A or 5A.That stacks the deck against small private schools being competitive, said Alan Hulme, administrator at Cornerstone Christian, a San Antonio school that has been pushing lawmakers to let it join the UIL.Few private schools would want to join the league if the House version passed, he said."No private school could compete under those rules," Hulme said Wednesday. "This is about all private schools, and the House version doesn't work for all private schools. It's a roadblock."
tvc184 Posted May 19, 2007 Report Posted May 19, 2007 As of Sunday afternoon (5-20-07), SB1943 is not on the calender to be discussed or read before the House. By the Texas Constitution a bill has to be read for three consecutive days in session before it can be voted on UNLESS they vote an emergency waiver. I would not see why a bill to play football would be an emergency (Hmmm.. football/Texas?) but who knows. The calenders have been completed through Monday and the bill is a no-show. The Wednesday calender also does not show the bill but it can be added as a supplemental bill. The session ends next Monday so if there is going to be action on this bill, it has to move very quickly. I guess we will see how much political pull this bill has, if any, very shortly.
Guest BigHam Posted May 19, 2007 Report Posted May 19, 2007 As of Sunday afternoon (5-20-07), SB1943 is not on the calender to be discussed or read before the House. By the Texas Constitution a bill has to be read for three consecutive days in session before it can be voted on UNLESS they vote an emergency waiver. I would not see why a bill to play football would be an emergency (Hmmm.. football/Texas?) but who knows. The calenders have been completed through Monday and the bill is a no-show. The Wednesday calender also does not show the bill but it can be added as a supplemental bill. The session ends next Monday so if there is going to be action on this bill, it has to move very quickly. I guess we will see how much political pull this bill has, if any, very shortly.Good update. Thanks
shermdog Posted May 21, 2007 Report Posted May 21, 2007 On the calender for May 22. Here is a link to voice your opinion:http://coach.thsca.com/Click the link under the SB 1943 paragraph, in THSCA announcements.
tvc184 Posted May 23, 2007 Report Posted May 23, 2007 I read the House calenders for the next couple of days and did not see SB1943 on it. From what I read on another forum (NRA), today was the last day for the House to consider a Senate bill. If that is true, then it looks like SB1943 might be dead. There is a House version of the same bill (HB2588) so I assume that action could be taken on it but it is different than SB1943 since that original bill was amended. If HB2588 was to pass, it would have to go to a Senate/House conference to hammer out the differences in the bills and then go back for final approval. There just doesn't seem to be time left for that in this session. The Friday calender looks to be reserved for the "Congratulatory and Memorial Calendar" which looks to me to be the wrapping up of the session. My fingers are crossed that SB1943 doesn't find new life somewhere and that time has actually run out. I know there is always a mad scramble at the end for bills and some very late sessions so maybe the fat lady isn't singing yet.
tvc184 Posted May 24, 2007 Report Posted May 24, 2007 According to today's article from the National Rifle Association, yesterday was the last day for the House to take up any Senate bill. The NRA was trying to get a pro-gun law passed and it died in calenders. Over 70 bills basically died because they ran out of time at the end of the session.I just read the last calender scheduled and it is just the congratulatory and memorial calender. That is where the Texas legislature can send out congratulations for a state championship, a kid making Eagle Scout, city anniversaries, etc. I am pretty sure that the legislative session is over as far as passing any more bills. I have yet to confirm that but it looks to be over and SB1943 died on the vine.
tvc184 Posted May 24, 2007 Report Posted May 24, 2007 Yep, it's dead.I guess that I was reading it correctly then. ;D
KFDM COOP Posted May 24, 2007 Author Report Posted May 24, 2007 No private schools in UIL..... High schools: House kills bill to put private schools in UIL Web Posted: 05/23/2007 09:36 PM CDTDan McCarneyExpress-News A Senate-passed proposal that would have allowed private schools to join the state's public school league was one of dozens of bills that failed to receive approval from the House. Tuesday's midnight deadline expired without any approval for SB 1943, which would have given private schools unprecedented access to the University Interscholastic League. The Senate passed the measure 28-3 on April 27. A chief promoter of the bill was prominent San Antonio religious leader John Hagee, founder of Cornerstone Christian Schools and a powerful force in state and local politics. Public school officials staunchly oppose any blending of the two entities, citing concerns about potential recruiting and residency violations. D.W. Rutledge, executive director of the Texas High School Coaches Association, said his organization sent out more than 37,000 e-mails in opposition to the bill. "We feel like we've stopped a bill that was not good for public school and the children they serve," he said. "We feel like it's a victory for our kids." Of those e-mails, Rutledge said, roughly 12,500 received responses. The THSCA then used ZIP codes to divide the responses into lists that were e-mailed to the corresponding representatives on a nightly basis. "It's something we've put together to help our coaches fight issues we think are important," Rutledge said. "It at least lets the representatives know that there's some pretty strong opposition out there."
warfan Posted May 24, 2007 Report Posted May 24, 2007 I graduated from a private school and this is GOOD NEWS. But we need to keep an eye on this issue. Private schools have no business in the UIL. I suspect the "church school" that is pushing this will now use the court system. And from what I have seen lately out of federal court they will have a good chance of success.
tvc184 Posted May 25, 2007 Report Posted May 25, 2007 Forcing a religious school into a public school system has a good chance? Hmmm........ what Supreme Court decisions have you been looking at to make you think that religion in any form will be forced into a public school setting?I wonder what they would do with prayer before a game since it has been banned for public schools but not for private schools. I guess the fans on the public school half of the stadium will be forced to put their fingers in their ears when they are at the private school's stadium. ;DI try to stay up on SCOTUS decisions and haven't seen anything that makes me think that they would force a private school that is not funded by public money to be involved in a public school system.
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