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Month Day, 2009 Jay Finegan, 287-1445
Rep. Pete Johnson Named to National Panel on Education

AUGUSTA – State Rep. Pete Johnson has been named to an influential national committee that deals with education issues under the auspices of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree recently announced the appointment, which takes effect immediately.

Rep. Johnson (R-Greenville) will join the NCSL’s Standing Committee on Education, which has jurisdiction over all education issues, including early childhood education, K-12 reform efforts and higher education. The panel also examines the federal No Child Left Behind Act, school violence, special education, teachers and school finance.

“I’m honored by this appointment and by the opportunity to represent Maine at the national level,” said Rep. Johnson, a retired military officer. “These NCSL committees are forums for legislators from all over the country to share approaches and solutions to common problems. The idea is to pool our knowledge base and share best practices. I believe the most imaginative thinking about government is happening at the state level, not in Washington.”

In the Maine Legislature, Rep. Johnson serves on the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Department of Education; school finance, governance and administration; school budgets; special education; child development services; school choice; and homeschooling. It also oversees the University of Maine System, the Maine Community College System and many other areas of the education system in Maine. He also serves on the Legislature’s Ethics Committee.

Rep. Johnson said one of the strengths of the NCSL is its firm support for state sovereignty. “At a time of growing federal encroachment on states’ rights, we’re fortunate to have this strong advocate for federalism,” he said.

The NCSL, based in Denver, is a bipartisan organization. Its committees have no actual legislative authority. Instead, they attempt to educate Congress and federal agencies as to state concerns regarding the most pressing state issues.

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