NACTE Advocacy

Want to Help CTE?

Call to Action (PDF)
Testimony
- How to Testify Before a Committee (PDF)
- Preparing Testimony (PDF)

Some files in links above are in Adobe Reader PDF format.

Good morning, I would like to take this opportunity to let you know I will be posting information with regards to the Legislative session periodically. This week we have seen the State of the State address presented as well as the Governor's proposed budget. The budget document can be viewed on the State budget website under Andrew Clinger site. Yesterday 1/26/2011 the Education budget was presented during The Legislative Commission Budget Subcommittee. The two changes to monies that have been earmarked for CTE are: an approximate 10% reduction of both the Student Organization funds as well as the
CTE funds. The second change is the governor's proposal to place both of these budget items under his proposed Block Grant to districts. We are very interested in getting a better understanding of what this actually means. Please feel free to contact me with any information, or questions at jcooney4@gmail.com. Thank you.

March 7, 2011: During the past weeks CTE has been highly visable in the halls of the Nevada Legislature. Student officers from all of our CTSO's have visited with representatives and have been introduced on the floor of both the Senate and the Assembly. These students have impressed members of both houses.
The K-12 budget has been heard by the money committees. After approximately 7 hours of hearings the bottom line is: The Govenors budget office has proposed waiving the Block grant idea for the first year of the biennium. This is good news for CTE if the funding streams remain in the line item areas of the 2699 budget for K-12. I have experienced positive reactions from legislators with regards to funding CTE through this process rather than the Block Grant.
As you may have read, there seems to be a large budget hole in the K-12 budget. Hopefully the Govenor's budget office and the Legislature will solve this issue. Unfortunately we may have to wait for the Economic Forum to meet in May to update the projected revenue sources. This will put a tight time line on the closing of budgets as we approach the 120 day limit for the session.

May 17,2011: The Economic Forum met the 2nd of May and increased their revenue projections over previous numbers. The following day the Joint Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees closed the K-12 budget. They restored approximately 94% of funding over the Govenor's budget proposal. The State CTE and CTSO funds were recomended and closed at the level proposed in the Govenor's budget. The K-12 budget was passed on party lines in both the Senate as well as the Assembly. The Speaker and the Majority leader presented their revenue proposal to include sales tax on some services and other modifications to the State's tax structure. Hearings have been happening in Senate Revenue as well as Taxation. Yesterday the Govenor Vetoed the K-12 budget and sent it back to the Legislature. So here we are back to square 1. There are now limited options for all parties. 1. The legislature overrides the Govenor's veto. 2. The legislature passes the Govenor's recommended budgets with cuts to all education. 3. A stalemate that ends in 1 or 2 special sessions. My suggestion is to email all republican lawmakers an ask them to support education by overiding the Govenor's veto and stablize the tax structure of our state. If we don't do this I am afraid the next legislature will be facing a deficit which makes our current situation seem insignificant. Please CC any of your emails to the legislators to jcooney4@gmail.com. If you have any other ideas please let me know. Jim Cooney

June 9, 2011. Thank goodness the 76th legislative session is over. What a strange set of circumstances that occured this session. Education funding, Govenor veto's, Supreme court decisions, late night negotiations.
With all of that and then some; Career Tech education secured funding for the 2011 - 2013 biennium. The State CTE funds are $3,543,822 for each year of the biennium. These funds are line items in the State budget. I believe this is a victory for CTE students and instructors. I would like to thank everyone who contacted legislators to support CTE. Thanks you for the opportunity to be your advocate at the Legislature. Respectfully yours Jim Cooney.