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***RADIO RELEASE***

For Immediate Release: January 24, 2007

Speaker Cummings announces timeline for Prosperity Committee, public input on school plans

Augusta – At a meeting with members of the Maine media at the State House in Augusta, Speaker of the House Glenn Cummings and Senate President Beth Edmonds announced their intent to create a Joint Select Committee to review the recommendations of the Brookings Institute.  They also announced that the will be a public hearing on February 5th to get public comment on the several school administrative district consolidation plans being considered. 

In an effort to ensure that the Legislature is able to consider all the report’s recommendations, Speaker of the House Glenn Cummings says he will announce the formation of a new legislative committee on prosperity that will consider the Brookings recommendations and several other proposals put forward by Maine lawmakers.

“That would be specifically on the Brookings Institute, we anticipate announcing that committee in the last week in February.”  [Cummings Audio Clip – 6 Seconds]

As a part of the state’s two-year budget plan, Governor Baldacci has included a proposal to dramatically cut back on school administration in order to lower costs to Maine taxpayers.  Several lawmakers and groups such as the State Board of Education, the Maine Children’s Alliance, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, Maine Municipal Association and the Maine Education Association have put forward other consolidation proposals,

“There are really two major questions for us.  What is educationally beneficial?  And secondly, what are the legitimate cost savings with the plan?” [Cummings Audio Clip – 10 seconds]

The public hearing for the administrative consolidation plans will be held at the Augusta Civic Center on February 5th.  The hearing is scheduled to begin at 9:00 in the morning and last until 8:00 in the evening.

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