Russ Feingold: “I must oppose the amendment to S. 1, the BEST Act, offered by the Senator from Ohio, Mr. Voinovich. This amendment would…”

“I must oppose the amendment to S. 1, the BEST Act, offered by the Senator from Ohio, Mr. Voinovich. This amendment would require the State educational agencies, SEAs, to ``jointly prepare a plan to carry out the responsibilities of the State . . . including carrying out the State educational agency's statewide system of technical assistance and support for local educational agencies.'' This would clearly supercede the Wisconsin State Constitution. Article X, Section 1 of the Wisconsin Constitution states: ``The supervision of public instruction shall be vested in a state superintendent and other officers as the legislature shall direct; and their qualifications, powers, duties and compensation shall be prescribed in law. The state superintendent shall be chosen by the qualified electors of the state at the same time and in the same manner as member of the supreme court, and shall hold office for 4 years. . . .'' The Federal Government should not supersede the Wisconsin Constitution by requiring the duly elected Superintendent of Public Instruction to have the Governor sign off on proposals submitted to the federal Department of Education. I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.”