On Friday, May 17, GFEA hosted its annual Spring Fling, honoring members retiring from GFPS, as well as recognizing our outstanding teacher of the Year. GFEA's Faculty Representatives, nominated from members in their respective buildings, were also recognized. The Silver and Gold Key of Professionalism Awards were also given to two members. Silver Apple Awards honored the achievments and contributions to education of community members and groups. Stories about the honorees will follow this summer. The following lists the honorees:

 Faculty Representatives Awards:

• Eric Bush - Whitter Elementary
• Nathan Hicks - Chief Joseph Elementary
• Gary Jenkins - Morning Side elementary
• Pam Margaris - Loy Elementary
• Elaine Nutter - Giant Springs Elementary
• Lance Olson - East Middle School
• Leesa Halcro - East Middle School
• Kristen Jacobsen - North Middle School

Silver Apple Awards:

• Andrea Barrow - Individual Award
• Cameron Family Center, Bill Salonen, Jr. - Director - Group Award

Silver Key of Service Award

• Cherie Stordahl - Morningside Elementary, GFEA Executive Board

Golden Key of Professionalism Award

• Alex Rosenleaf - C.M. Russell High School, GFEA Executive Board

GFEA Outstanding Educator of the Year

• Terri Dahl - C.M. Russell High School

   Voting at Paris Gibson Altermative Education Center on Thursday, May 16, 2019, members of GFEA ratified their proposed contract with Great Falls Public Schools for the 2019-2021 school years.
   The vote was 129 members voting for the contract and seven (7) voting against. Thanks to all the members who attended to learn about the new contract and vote.
​   The contract will now go to the GFPS Board of Trustees for final approval before going into effect for next school year.

MFPE 2019 Legislative Priorities (as of May 11). Bills marked with a VR will be included in MFPE's Legislator Voting Record which will be released later this year.
 
Bills we supported that passed

• HB 159(Grubbs) - Funds k-12 schools (absent prek).   Signed by Governor. VR
• HB 175(Dooling) - Ratifies union negotiated state and university employee base pay, health insurance, and per diem.  Signed by Governor.  VR
• HB 351(McKamey) – Provides incentives for school districts to implement “transformational” learning.  Signed by Governor.  VR

• HB 387(Jones) – Expands personalized opportunities for students to accelerate career and college readiness.Signed by Governor.  VR

• HB 638(Bedey) - Inflates special education funding for the biennium.  Signed by Governor.  VR
• HB 658(Buttrey) - Repeals Medicaid Expansion sunset with work-related requirements.  Signed by Governor.  VR

• SB 60(Salomon) - Dedicates $2 million in lottery net revenue to MUS STEM scholarships.  Signed by Governor.  VR

• SB 92(Salomon) - Provides greater local school district funding capacity to address school safety issues.  Signed by Governor.  VR
• SB 338(Gauthier/Cohenour) - Montana Museums Act: Provides funding for Montana Heritage Center and museums around Montana with a 1% tax increase in accommodations tax. Signed by Governor.  VR

 
Bills we opposed that failed

• HB 303(DeVries) – Abolishes compulsory education.  Tabled House Education.

• HB 396(M. Regier) – Prohibits public employees from supporting or opposing ballot issues and political candidates.  Tabled House State Administration.
• HB755(Moore) - Governor's prek bill that creates taxpayer funded public and private charter pre-k schools governed by a department of early childhood independent of local school districts, board of public education, and office of public instruction.  Tabled House Education - Failed two attempts to amend into SB 352Free Conference Committee.

• SB 234(Fitzpatrick) – Steps toward privatization of Montana State Fund. Passed Senate - Failed 2d Reading House. VR

 
Bills we watched that passed

• HB 211(Jones) – Establishes new hire debt repayment.  Signed by Governor.
• HB 323(Tschida) – Codifies Janus.  Vetoed.  Veto Message

• HB 567(Skees) – Creates public school marshal program.  Vetoed. Veto Message

• SB 139(Lang) - Incentivizes teachers to retire at 27 years, draw full retirement, and continue to teach in 2d and 3d class sized school communities.  Signed by Governor.

 
Bills we supported that failed

• HB 27(Funk) – Inflates special education funding.  Tabled House Appropriations.
• HB 209 (Funk) – Authorizes state employee career ladders.  Tabled House Appropriations.
• HB 235(Fern) – Creates opportunity for school districts to create statewide school employee health care trust.  Tabled House Health and Human Services.
• HB 298(Pope) – Provides ANB funding of certain students with disabilities up to age 21.  Passed House - Tabled Senate Education. 
• HB 339(Moore) – Creates and funds loan repayment for Child Protective Specialists. Tabled House Appropriations.

• HB 455(Windy Boy) – Qualifies eligible classified school employees for unemployment compensation.  Tabled House Business and Labor.
• HB 477(Funk) – As amended in House Judiciary requires OPI to develop model firearms safety training policies and procedures. Passed House - Tabled Senate Judiciary.

• SB 128  (Cohenour) – Repeals state employee longevity pay break in service penalty.  Tabled Senate State Administration.

• SB 152(Barrett) – Makes 6-mill MUS levy permanent.  Tabled House Tax. VR

 
Bills we opposed that passed

• HB 325(M. Regier) – Repeals a local government’s power to regulate the carrying of concealed weapons and authorizes a person with a concealed weapon permit to carry anywhere in public buildings including schools.  Vetoed. Veto Message  VR
• HB 357(M. Regier) – Legislative Referendum – same intent as HB 325 but not subject to gubernatorial veto.  Passed Legislature.   VR

• SB 304(R. Webb) – Authorizes legislators to conceal carry on state property, including the Capitol building.   Vetoed.  Veto Message  VR

Bargaining is complete.  The ratification of the contract is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, May 16, 2019, at 4:30 p.m., at Paris Gibson Alternative Education Center. The contract changes will be presented to the Executive Board on May 7, 2019. Faculty Representatives will vote on the contract on May 14.  The contract will be presented to members will vote on May 16.  After the presentation, no one will be allowed to enter until the vote is complete.
 
Please attend and vote.
Additional updates will be posted on this page!

Please join us in celebrating our 2019 Outstanding Educator, Community Support Group and Individual, along with our Honored Educators, the 2019 Retirees:

• Sandy Brown, Lewis & Clark
• Anne Bulger, C M Russell High School *
• Barbara Butcher, Whittier
• Terri Dahl, C. M. Russell High School *
• Katie Gabriel, Longfellow
• Lori Hoff, C.M. Russell High School
• Betsy Rogstad, C M Russell High School *
• Tammy Huschka, Longfellow
• Cathy Kuntz, East Middle School
• Shelli Lavinder-Schwalk, C.M. Russell High School *
• Rhonda Moore, C.M. Russell High School
• Randy Remsen, Great Falls High School
• Maureen Scott, North Middle School
• Lyall Tesch, Great Falls High School
• Robert Truax, Great Falls High School
• Lorene Vogl, Lincoln
• Mary Warner, North Middle School *
• Dan Wilkins, Great Falls High School

*Retirees Attending the Spring Fling

As of yesterday afternoon, May 3, the governor had signed several bills we supported . . . vetoed two gun bills we opposed . . . and vetoed HB 323 that we caused to be amended to be meaningless.   You can click on the veto messages.  They are simply written and straightforward.  
 
I am delighted the governor vetoed SB 304 and HB 325.  Both bad gun bills.  Unfortunately, the governor cannot veto HB 357.  HB 357 does the same thing as HB 325.  It is, however, a legislative referendum.  So it will go to a vote of the people in the November 2020 general election.  We are right now working with public school and local government organizations to consider our legal and ballot campaign options.  In short, we will do what it takes to defeat the intent of HB 357.
 
I am disappointed the governor vetoed HB 323.  As introduced HB 323 was nasty, provocative extension of the Janus decision.  But as we carefully amended it, HB 323 did nothing more than state the obvious:  public employee unions may no longer bargain and enforce non-member agency fee payments.  Janus ruled agency fee payments unconstitutional.  End of story.  The governor’s veto has no legal effect but it does permit unconstitutional language to linger around in Montana law inviting future legislative proposals to strike what is unconstitutional and while at it craft further nasty, provocative extensions.  Please know, I asked the governor NOT to veto the bill. 
 
The governor has signed and vetoed and will yet sign and veto other bills of consequence (see the papers) that we lobbied for and against that are not on this priority list.  Further the bills I have marked with VR are the bills that will likely constitute our voting record for this legislature.  Stay tuned.  And hope that spring has finally sprung.
 
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MFPE 2019 Legislative Priorities (as of May 3)
 
Bills we supported that passed

• HB 159 (Grubbs) - Funds k-12 schools (absent prek).   Signed by Governor.  VRR
• HB 175 (Dooling) - Ratifies union negotiated state and university employee base pay, health insurance, and per diem.  Signed by Governor.   VR
• HB 351 (McKamey) – Provides incentives for school districts to implement “transformational” learning.  Passed Legislature.   VR
• HB 387 (Jones) – Expands personalized opportunities for students to accelerate career and college readiness. Signed by Governor.  VR
• HB 638 (Bedey) - Inflates special education funding for the biennium.  Passed Legislature.   VR
• HB 658 (Buttrey) - Repeals Medicaid Expansion sunset with work-related requirements.  Passed Legislature.  VR
• SB 60 (Salomon) - Dedicates $2 million in lottery net revenue to MUS STEM scholarships.  Passed Legislature.  VR
• SB 92 (Salomon) - Provides greater local school district funding capacity to address school safety issues.  Signed by Governor.  VR
• SB 338 (Gauthier/Cohenour) - Montana Museums Act:  Provides funding for Montana Heritage Center and museums around Montana with a 1% tax increase in accommodations tax.  Passed Legislature.  VR

 
Bills we opposed that failed

• HB 303 (DeVries) – Abolishes compulsory education.  Tabled House Education.
• HB 396 (M. Regier) – Prohibits public employees from supporting or opposing ballot issues and political candidates.  Tabled House State Administration.
• HB 755 (Moore) - Governor's prek bill that creates taxpayer funded public and private charter pre-k schools governed by a department of early childhood independent of local school districts, board of public education, and office of public instruction.  Tabled House Education - Failed two attempts to amend into SB 352 Free Conference Committee.
• SB 234 (Fitzpatrick) – Steps toward privatization of Montana State Fund.  Passed Senate - Failed 2d Reading House.   VR

 
Bills we watched that passed

• HB 211 (Jones) – Establishes new hire debt repayment.  Passed Legislature.
• HB 323 (Tschida) – Codifies Janus.  Vetoed.  Veto Message
• HB 567 (Skees) – Creates public school marshal program.  Passed Legislature.
• SB 139 (Lang) - Incentivizes teachers to retire at 27 years, draw full retirement, and continue to teach in 2d and 3d class sized school communities.  Passed Legislature.

 
Bills we supported that failed

• HB 27 (Funk) – Inflates special education funding.  Tabled House Appropriations.
• HB 209  (Funk) – Authorizes state employee career ladders.  Tabled House Appropriations.
• HB 235 (Fern) – Creates opportunity for school districts to create statewide school employee health care trust.  Tabled House Health and Human Services.
• HB 298 (Pope) – Provides ANB funding of certain students with disabilities up to age 21.  Passed House - Tabled Senate Education.
• HB 339 (Moore) – Creates and funds loan repayment for Child Protective Specialists. Tabled House Appropriations.
• HB 455 (Windy Boy) – Qualifies eligible classified school employees for unemployment compensation.  Tabled House Business and Labor.
• HB 477 (Funk) – As amended in House Judiciary requires OPI to develop model firearms safety training policies and procedures. Passed House - Tabled Senate Judiciary.
• SB 128  (Cohenour) – Repeals state employee longevity pay break in service penalty.  Tabled Senate State Administration.
• SB 152 (Barrett) – Makes 6-mill MUS levy permanent.  Tabled House Tax.  VR

 
Bills we opposed that passed

• HB 325 (M. Regier) – Repeals a local government’s power to regulate the carrying of concealed weapons and authorizes a person with a concealed weapon permit to carry anywhere in public buildings including schools.  Vetoed.  Veto Message  VR
• HB 357 (M. Regier) – Legislative Referendum – same intent as HB 325 but not subject to gubernatorial veto.  Passed Legislature.   VR
• SB 304 (R. Webb) – Authorizes legislators to conceal carry on state property, including the Capitol building.   Vetoed.  Veto Message  VR