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April 14, 2000     Cape Gazette
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April 14, 2000
 
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16 - CAPE GAZETTE, Friday, April 14 - April 20, 2000 GA wrestles with accountability; Simpson calls for study of death penalty By Rosanne Pack General Assembly business re- garding the school house and the jail house is attracting attention this week. Educator accountabili- ty may turn the final page in the House, and a request for a study of the death penalty statute could open a whole new chapter in the Senate. Although it's not over until it's over, lawmakers say that a suc- cessful compromise may just be a voice vote away and the long saga of education reform could end with new legislation by next week. The educator accountability act, S.B. 260, has bounced back and forth between the chambers in Legislative Hall, but consensus is that the Senate's last volley can be accepted by the House, with a separate, complimentary bill on the side. The bill is tentatively set to come back before the House next Tuesday, April 18. After tbe House sent S.B. 260 back to the Senate, adorned with several amendments, lawmakers of that body couldn't accept some, especially one that would give lo- cal school districts considerable leeway in establishing teacher ac- countability and licensing plans. The Senate struck the "Red Clay amendment" but came back with the offer of another bill that would serve that school district's needs without allowing any and all dis- tricts to determine their own teacher accountability plans. It is Red Ciay's contention that the district is already into the sec- ond year of a process of develop- ing their own, stringent plan for evaluation and accountability. Sen. George Bunting, D-Bethany Beach, said that a compromise among General Assembly caucus- es should allow Red Clay to move along with their plan and allow passage of S.B. 260 without the House amendment referring to lo- cal districts. Bunting said a separate bill would establish framework for a pilot program that would allow Red Clay to continue with their plan, following Department of Education guidelines. "It's been a long road for ac- countability," Bunting said, "But I'm glad senators did not grand- stand, and all tried to be team players. If we had gone with Tom Carper's version, I don't know what this school district [Cape Henlopen] would have done. We would have had hundreds of chil- dren in summer school and people would not be happy with the sin- the business bottom line. gle test indicator of student progress. "Is this the end of it all? No, school accountability is on-go- ing." Schroeder agrees that education matters will always be up for al- terations, and he is hopeful that those who represent Red Clay District will see the wisdom of ac- cepting separate legislation that will establish a demonstration project rather than leaving the door open for any district to set their own teacher standards. "It would be a giant step back to leave the Red Clay amendment in," he said. "Basically, we would be back: with no state standards." Death penalty study First-term Sen. Gary Simpson, R-Milford, said he will request a Senate Resolution to establish a commission to review the state's death penalty statute. He said he is opposed to the death penalty on moral grounds, but he wants the General Assem- bly and citizens of the state to re- search the facts of the policy. "This is a very sensitive issue," he said, "but, it is time we take politics out of the debate and look at the facts behind this 'life and death' decision." Simpson said issues to be con- sidered include the following: is use of the death penalty a deter- rent to crime, and are there more cost effective ways to reduce crime rates; a cost comparison of imposing the death penalty as op- posed to life imprisonment; and the possibility for racial bias play- ing a role in imposition of the death penalty. Simpson said he knows that he is touching on a highly controver- sial subject, but he feels a moral obligation to pursue the issue. Finley Jones hosts announcement reception Sussex County Councilman Finley Jones Jr. will welcome sup- porters from the Second Council- manic District to a reception at the Greenwood Fire Hall at 1 p.m., Saturday, April 15. Jones recently announced that he has filed for re- election to county council. He is completing his first term as the county representative of the dis- trict that includes Bridgeville, Greenwood and part of Milford. In seeking re-election, he said he remains committed to helping to provide financially responsible government that is accessible to all residents. Among county progress that took place in his first Legislative U >date West wants to lessen tax burden for farmers Rep. Charles West, D-Gumboro and Rep. Wallace Caulk, Jr., R- Frederica, announced that they will introduce legislation intended to give farmers some tax relief and more incentive to continue family farming. West said that H.B. 538 would remove county andschooi property taxes now levied on farm buildings and other structures used for agricultural purposes. Expressing concern for the amount of agricultural land that is being sold for development, West said that this legislation is one of a series of measures designed to help maintain the family farm as a way of life in Delaware. He said structures to be eliminated from taxation would include those lo- cated on land used for agriculture, horticulture or forest use, and ac- tively devoted to these purposes. term, he cites increased funding for fire, ambulance, paramedics and police and reduction of the county debt. With Sussex County the fasting growing area in Delaware, he said elected officials must remain committed to productive revisions in the land use plan and coopera- tion with the Department of Transportation. He would like to see non-agricultural employment opportunities expanded and para- medic and ambulance service in- creased. Jones is the president of M.A, Willey & Sons. He said his expe- rience as a small business man help him understand the impor- tance of reasonable and efficient government that does not effect The land where such structures are located would be taxed simply as land, rather than land with buildings on it. "The owners would not be as- sessed additional property value for tax purposes for the buildings and structures situated on such land as long as the buildings and structures are actively used for those stated purposes," West said. Farmhouses, and land on which farmhouses sit, would still be sub- ject to regular property valuation, assessment and taxation. Struc- tures which would be exempt by successful passage of H.B. 538 in- clude pens, stables, barns, poultry houses, grain storage sheds and similar structures. West and Caulk also teamed up on H.B. 537 which would require county governments to notify any and all owners of land within 500 feet of a parcel of land for which an application for a zoning change has been received. The bill Would Bun'is sets appearances in southern Delaware John M. Burris, former presi- dent of the Delaware State Cham- ber of Commerce and present Re- publican candidate for his party's nomination for governor is bring- ing his message to area events next week. Burris is the guest speaker at the Dagsboro Republi- can Women's meeting 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 18. He will also join other office seekers for a meet the candidates night for the residents of the 38th Representa- tive District. The event is scheduled for 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 19, at the South Coastal Library, Bethany Beach. For information on the Burris campaign, call 302-999- 0230. - Compiled by Rosanne Pack require that the surrounding land owners be notified by certified mail at least seven days prior to the initial hearing on the applica- tion. West said, "I know the county puts up notices and ads in the pa- per, but sometimes people miss those. I just feel that we need to take every possible step to make sure that people are notified about something that effects them." Incinerator bill set for Carpet's signature A bill introduced by Sen. David McBride, D-Hawks Nest, that will ban incinerators within three miles of a community, a resi- dence, school, park or public building has passed both cham- bers of the General Assembly and will go to Gov. Tom Carper for his signature. The bill passed easily enough even though some con- cerns were raised over who should determine if incinerators should be allowed, the state or counties and municipalities that would be most affected by them? 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