RRCNA Advocacy Update - August, 2008

Dear RRCNA Members:

As Olympic Obsession gives way to Convention Fever, attention turns toward Denver and St. Paul. Congress returns to Washington September 8th for a couple of weeks and then adjourns September 26th until the election. Advocacy updates and opportunities include:

1. RRCNA co-signs letter to presidential education advisors – The Committee for Education Funding will issue a letter to both candidates’ education advisors offering to be an information resource to the new administration and to “discuss how to raise the level of federal support for education to levels commensurate with its long-term return in creating sustainable communities.” RRCNA and the other members of CEF are co-signers.
    
2. National Association for Reading First – Reportedly formed at the national Reading First meeting conducted by the USDE in July.
    
3. NBES nominations: The President nominated 8 people for the National Board of Education Sciences last week. The NBES oversees the Institute for Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education, which administers the What Works Clearinghouse. The nominations require Senate confirmation, and with so little time before Congress adjourns, it is unlikely that these nominations will be finalized.
    
4. Legislative Update: Higher Education Opportunity Act passes, and while little additional legislation is expected to pass this year, bill introductions can be forecasters of legislative initiatives in 2009:

• Higher Education Opportunity Act becomes Public Law 110 – 315.
• Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA), ranking member, House Education and Labor Committee, expected to introduce a comprehensive literacy bill in September.
• HR 6632: Rep. Mike Castle (D-DE) introduces the “Improving No Child Left Behind for All Students Act,” which includes a reauthorization of Reading First.
• Sen. Kennedy introduces S. 3431, the “Time for Innovation Matters in Education (TIME) Act” to provide federal funding to support states’ efforts to expand the school day in pilot schools in each state.

5. Election trivia: Which state has its ENTIRE congressional delegation on the ballot in November (members of the House normally run every two years, but Senators have staggered, six year terms, so it is unusual for both to run at the same time). See the answer below.

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Trivia Answer: WYOMING. Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi’s six-year term is due to expire this year. His opponent is Chris Rothfuss. Wyoming’s second Senate seat is the subject of a Special Election due to the passing of Senator Thomas Craig in 2007. Senator John Barrasso was appointed to the seat by Governor Freudenthal, but must stand for election in order to serve out the remaining four years of the term – until 2012. His opponent is Nick Carter. Wyoming has one At-Large member in the House of Representatives, and it is an open seat this year. Incumbent Rep. Barbra Cubin is not running for re-election and there are three people running for the open seat: W. David Herbert, Cynthia Lummis and Gary Trauner.