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Kansas House, Senate Approve Teacher Bargaining Bills

Michael B.
/
flickr Creative Commons

Both chambers of the Kansas Legislature approved changes yesterday to the rules for collective bargaining between school boards and teachers' unions.

The House and Senate passed separate bills that reflect a compromise that school administrators, boards, superintendents, and teachers' unions reached in January.

State law currently compels the two sides to bargain on 31 issues each negotiations cycle, in addition to pay and hours.

Critics say the policy leads to deadlocks and distractions in talks.

The House bill would instead instruct each side to select five mandatory topics of discussion in addition to pay and hours.

The Senate bill would allow the sides to select three mandatory additional topics.

The House's vote on its bill was 109-14.

The Senate's vote on its measure was 40-0.

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