Thhee Innterimterim January 2010 A monthly newsletter of the Montana Legislative Branch Council to Sponsor Teachers Institute In This Issue on Representative Democracy in June Summer Teachers Institute 1 The Legislative Council will co-sponsor the fi rst-ever Montana Teachers Census: Improving the Response Rate 2 Institute on Representative Democracy and the Legislative Process next Budget Training for Legislators 3 summer at the state Capitol. Children & Families Committee 3 Economic Affairs Committee 3 The professional development program, scheduled for June 14-16, is aimed at Montana teachers of social studies, history, government, and Education & Local Govt Committee 4 civics. The goals of the institute are to: Education Policy Goals Subcommittee 5 • encourage and enhance teaching in Montana about representative Energy & Telecommunications Committee 5 democracy and the role of Legislative Audit Committee 6 the state legislature within a Legislative Council 6 representative democracy; Legislative Finance Committee 7 • prepare teachers to teach Revenue & Transportation Committee 10 active citizenship in their State Admin & Veteran Affairs Committee 12 classrooms; Water Policy Committee 12 • help remove barriers between citizens and their Ask an Attorney: Separation of Powers 13 government; and Back Page: Schenck Refl ects on 25 Years 15 • address cynicism and Directory of Legislative Committees 17 negativity about government. Interim Calendar 19 The sponsors plan to offer continuing education credits to teachers who attend. The Interim is published by: Legislative Services Division Other sponsors include Project Citizen and Representative Democracy Room 110, State Capitol in America, both programs of the Center for Civic Education, a PO Box 201706 nonpartisan, nonprofi t corporation dedicated to promoting a citizenry Helena, MT 59620-1706 committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice (406) 444-3064 of democracy. The center is a partner with the National Conference For more information: of State Legislatures in the Alliance for Representative Democracy. For Legislative Information Offi ce (406) 444-2957 more information about the center and its programs, visit www.civiced. [email protected] org. The Interim, along with up-to-date The teachers institute will include presentations by legislators and information about interim committees, is also available on the Legislative Branch Website at legislative staff, as well as a mock committee hearing. Legislators leg.mt.gov. interested in participating should contact Gayle Shirley, Legislative Information Offi cer, 406-444-2957 or [email protected]. 2 The Interim January 2010 Members of the planning committee for the institute are • people below the poverty level; Shirley; Kevin Hayes, publications coordinator with the • households with public assistance income Legislative Services Division; Sally Broughton of Bozeman, • unemployed people; state coordinator of Project Citizen; Sue Henderson of • linguistically isolated households; and Billings, state coordinator of Representative Democracy in • occupied units where the householder recently moved in. America; Scott Evans, government teacher at Helena High School; and Jason Neiffer, government teacher at Capital Areas in Montana that are historically hard to count High School. The Offi ce of Public Instruction has agreed include urban pockets and rural areas, college towns, and to assist the committee as needed and to help promote the reservations. Legislators who represent these areas may want event. to work with the Census Bureau and local offi cials to inform constituents of the importance of participating in the census. More information about the institute will be provided in future issues of The Interim. Help Spread the Word via Radio PSA Countdown to the 2010 Census: Legislators and local offi cials can record a radio public service Improving the Census Response Rate announcement promoting census participation by calling a toll-free voicemail line at 1-720-533-4230. Callers should The national response rate to the 2000 census survey was 67 be ready to record their message and leave the call letters percent. The response rate in individual states ranged from of stations over which they would like the announcement 76 percent in Iowa to 57 percent in Alaska. In Montana, the to air. Messages can be erased and re-recorded; multiple response rate was 68 percent (or about the same as in 1990), messages can also be recorded. The Census Bureau will ranking the state 44th in the nation. send the messages to the appropriate radio stations. For more information contact Jared Ewy at the Denver Regional The response rate is the percentage of people estimated Census Media and Broadcast Center (720) 371-7586, jared. to have responded to the census survey. A higher response [email protected], or fax (720) 533-4237. rate means a more accurate count of the population. If households don’t Legislators may use the following script to record the respond to the announcement: survey, census “This is (name and title). The 2010 Census is just fi eld workers must around the corner. You’ll receive the short and easy contact them, and questionnaire in March. The few minutes you take to that effort costs fi ll it out is vital for funding schools, roads, and other taxpayers money. community projects. It also gives all of us a voice in government by being counted for representation in Hard-to-count Congress and the state legislature. Stay tuned to this areas are places that had a low response rate during the radio station for more information about the upcoming 2000 census. Using scores from the Census Bureau, local census, as well as how important one simple civic duty community leaders in Montana can determine where more is to (city, county, state). The 2010 Census...it’s in our effort is needed to ensure an accurate count in 2010. hands.” Scores are derived from 12 variables that are correlated with The new census form is similar to the former “short form.” low response rates. These variables are: It asks only 10 questions about the number of people living • vacant units; at a residence and their sex, age, race, and whether they are • multi-family units; of Hispanic origin. It takes about 10 minutes to fi ll out. The • renter-occupied units; census form and other information is available at www.2010. • occupied units with more than 1.5 people per room; census.mt.gov. • households that are not husband/wife families; • occupied units with no telephone service; Information about the census is also available on the • adults who are not high school graduates; Montana Legislative Branch website under the “For January 2010 The Interim 3 Legislators” link. State and county profi les of census data can This information will help the committee to evaluate the be accessed from the site through a link to the Census and health-care work force, particularly the availability of Economic Information Center website (www.ceic.mt.gov). primary-care practitioners. Upcoming issues of The Interim will include articles about The committee also will hear about: additional topics related to the census. These topics will • placement of foster children with relatives; include the various uses of census information, the fate of • laws involving the commitment process for people with the census long form, and available resources. Contact Susan developmental disabilities; and Byorth Fox at 406-444-3064 or [email protected] with questions • budget issues affecting the state Department of Public or suggestions for future articles. Health and Human Services. The meeting is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 25, at 9:30 a.m. in Legislative Committees to Co-sponsor Room 137 of the Capitol. An agenda and other materials will Budget Training for Legislators in March be available by mid-January on the committee webpage, leg. mt.gov/cfhhs. For more information about the committee, The Legislative Finance Committee and the Legislative contact Sue O’Connell, committee staff, at 406-444-3597 or Council will co-sponsor a training on federal stimulus funds [email protected]. and the state budget March 3 at the Capitol. Legislators who participate will be reimbursed for their travel to Helena. Economic Affairs Committee to Focus on Workers’ Compensation Rates Chris Whatley, from the Council of State Governments, will discuss new federal jobs proposals and evaluate The interplay of job classifi cations, regulation, and fi guring how these proposals may affect both state budgets and how much money to hold in reserve to pay workers’ economic development. Legislative staff will also provide compensation claims will engage the Economic Affairs information during the training, which is aimed at exposing Committee Jan. 20-21 in the basic factors used to calculate more legislators to key budget issues, encouraging interim workers’ compensation premiums. The two-day meeting committees to provide assistance to the Legislative Finance will focus on how the structure of workers’ compensation Committee on budget policy and the development of in Montana affects rate setting and regulation. The meeting base and future expenditures levels, and helping the entire will start at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 20 in Room 137 of the Capitol and Legislature to be better prepared for the 2011 session. More reconvene at 8 a.m. Jan. 21. information about the training will be provided in future issues of The Interim. State Auditor Monica Lindeen will discuss the role of regulatory oversight for private insurers and projections of CFHHS Committee to Explore Educational what would be involved if her offi ce regulated the Montana State Fund, which currently operates under statute and the Opportunities for Medical Students direction of its board. The Children, Families, Health, and Human Services Interim Ann Clayton, a consultant hired by the state Department Committee will learn more this month about the educational of Labor and Industry, will provide an overview of the opportunities available to medical students in Montana. rate-setting process in workers’ compensation as well as a comparison of operations of state funds in other states.