[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 43 (Thursday, April 6, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3230-S3231]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. HATCH:
  S. 2569. A bill to authorize Western States to make selections of 
public land within their borders in lieu of receiving five per centum 
of the proceeds of the sale of public land lying within

[[Page S3231]]

said States as provided by their respective Enabling Acts; to the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill that would 
restore balance to a system that disadvantages education funding in the 
West. The Action Plan for Public Land and Education Act of 2006 would 
authorize the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of 
Agriculture to grant Federal land to western States where large 
proportions of public land hamper the States ability to raise funding 
for public education. This is a product of the hard work and creativity 
of Representative Rob Bishop, and I am working with him on this 
important effort.
  Many of my colleagues may not know this, but 10 of the top 12 States 
with the largest student-teacher ratios are in the West. These States 
also have the lowest growth in per-pupil expenditures, and their 
enrollment growth is projected to increase dramatically.
  The West's education funding deficit is not due to lack of commitment 
or effort by the States. The fact is that Western States allocate as 
great a percentage of their budgets to public education as the rest of 
the Nation. Moreover, Western States pay on average 11.1 percent of 
their personal incomes to State and local taxes, whereas citizens of 
the remaining States pay 10.9 percent of their incomes to these same 
State and local taxes.
  The funding discrepancy for education in the West is due in large 
part to the lack of a sales tax base, which can only be generated on 
private land. On average, the Federal Government owns 52 percent of the 
land located in the 13 Western States, while the remaining States 
average just 4 percent Federal land. Sales tax is not collected on 
Federal land, and as we know, public education is funded largely 
through sales taxes.
  We all know, the school trust lands that are available to these 
States are not sufficient to make up the education shortfall in the 
West. This legislation would remedy that by granting public land States 
5 percent of federally-owned land within the State boundaries. The land 
would be held in trust to be sold or leased, and the proceeds used 
strictly for the support of public education.
  Again, I thank Representative Bishop for his excellent work on this 
bill. My colleagues and I know of the need to address the West's 
education funding problem. The Action Plan for Public Land and 
Education Act of 2006 is a solution to this problem, and I urge my 
colleagues to lend their support for this important proposal.
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