The Concord Monitor reported on two amendments proposed by Senator David Watters (Dover), one of which creates a committee to study the structure of the Department of Education. Here’s an excerpt of the article:
Watters, a Dover Democrat, has suggested two new amendments, which he said have Edelblut’s support. The first would allow the commissioner to transfer functions within the department’s existing four divisions after he seeks advice from the State Board of Education and division heads. The second would create a five-member study committee of lawmakers to look into the larger structure of the department.
The committee members would “study the organizational structure of the department of education and the duties and responsibilities of the commissioner of education,” according to the amendment. The committee could then recommend legislation for next session.
But Senator John Reagan (Deerfield) objected to his proposal. Reagan originally proposed an amendment on April 11 that would have completely restructured the Department of Education and would have given Commissioner Frank Edelblut significantly more authority:
Reagan said he liked the first part of Watters’s proposal but didn’t see the need for the second part.
“We just don’t need another study committee. There’s just way too many,” Reagan said.
He also said he resented the uproar about his proposal in the first place, chalking it up to partisan politicking. Democrats just want to make it look like Republicans “can’t govern,” he said.
“Republicans haven’t done that to any Democrat governor or his appointees,” he said.
Read the full article here.
