Wednesday, April 26th, 2006...12:17 pm
Raner and Das Veto
Judge Raner Collins has rejected the latest legislative plan to help English language learners as insufficient and a violation of federal law. I guess it is back to the drawing board for the legislative leaders. Note for next time: if you are ordered to fund English language learning, it might be helpful to pass a bill that funds English language learning rather than tax breaks benefiting schools with no English language learners. It would be a nice start, but what would I know?
No word yet on whether Republicans will follow the same pattern as they did with the recent immigration bill fiasco and run radio ads in Spanish blaming Phil Lopes.
NB - Before I get an e-mail correcting this “error,” (you know who you are), I am aware that the latest ELL bill did not include the tax credits. However, the Republican insistance on the credits throughout so much of this debate is emblematic of the lack of care they had for actually funding English language education in this state.
5 Comments
April 26th, 2006 at 12:41 pm
“Collins also said the Republican-backed legislative plan would have violated federal law by forcing schools to divert federal funds they receive for poverty-related programs to cover the remaining costs of teaching English.”
This always seemed to be the biggest problem with the plan.
April 26th, 2006 at 2:57 pm
The irony is, that if the fines accumulate long enough, then it will be funded.
They’ve dug their own hole on this one.
April 26th, 2006 at 4:32 pm
My suggestion, therefore, is to do nothing except wait for the legislature. Then either the legislature will pass a bill to adequately fund ELL programs, or the legislature will adequately fund ELL programs at the rate of one million dollars per day.
April 27th, 2006 at 12:37 am
Funding the ELL program at 1 Million a day sounds like the better plan now. Thats alot of money to fund ELL which is exactly what is needed.
Sometimes the GOP makes it too easy for us Democrats.
April 27th, 2006 at 9:39 am
I am worried that the Collins decisions are going to be used by Republicans to attack our nation’s court system and its judges. I am waiting for the “activist”, “judge as legislator” labels to fly.
Collins is just interpreting the law and using his power of contempt and others to force compliance when the law has been violated and avoided by those in power.
They are lucky that he does jail them for contempt.
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