Separate but Unequal -AL-GOP bulldoze school voucher legislation thru with SuperMajority
Yep, State’s Rights —separate but equal
MONTGOMERY, Alabama —- Republicans dropped a legislative bombshell tonight as they slammed through a dramatically revamped education bill that will give tax credits for families at “failing schools” to send their children to private school or another public school.
Lawmakers voted mid-day to send a school flexibility bill — that would let school systems seek waivers from some policies — to conference committee. The conference committee reported a dramatically different bill that included the flexibility measures plus what some lawmakers called school vouchers.
Republicans heralded it as a historic day for education and life-altering for children stuck in poorly performing schools. But tempers boiled over as Democrats called the maneuver “sleaziness” and a “bait and switch.”The Senate broke down in chaos during the vote with every senator on their feet and many shouting at each other.
“This is historic for the children of this state,” Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, said over the shouts of angry Democrats.
“You went behind closed doors… This is not democracy. This is hypocrisy,” Sen. Quinton Ross, D-Montgomery, shouted at Marsh.
The House of Representatives approved the bill by a 51-26 vote. The Senate approved the bill 22-11.
Gov. Robert Bentley is expected to sign the bill next week.
“I truly believe this is historic education reform and it will benefit students and families across Alabama regardless of their income and regardless of where they live,” Bentley said in a press conference tonight.
“I’m so proud we have done this for the children of this state and especially the children who are in failing school systems and had no way out. Now, they have a way out,” Bentley said.
Gov. Bentley announces Alabama Accountability Act
“Local school systems will have the flexibility to make more decisions on behalf of their students. Families will have new options if their children are stuck in failing schools. All children, regardless of their family’s income or where they live, will have the opportunity to receive a quality education,” said Bentley.Watch video
http://video-embed.al.com/services/player/bcpid618568022001?bctid=2196386800001&bckey=AQ~~,AAAAPLMIMAE~,kKetLjW2WxXzKHcB6m3Yy0OaZGFosQ2NA bill, originally written to allow local schools to seek waivers from some state policies and laws, grew from about eight pages to about 27 pages in the conference committee.
The move drew outrage from Democrats who said the plan was evidently in the works for some time.
“I’ve never seen such sleaziness,” Rep. Thomas Jackson, D-Thomasville, said.
Rep. Mary Moore, D-Birmingham, as she was leaving the House chamber threw her hands over her head and shouted, “Welcome to the new confederacy where a bunch of white men are now going to take over black schools.”
Judge Intervenes In Heated Battle Over Alabama’s Education Bill
Video:
http://bcove.me/5cftcqu8The controversial Alabama Accountability Act establishes tax credits for students of failing schools to attend private schools or a different public school. Gov. Robert Bentley had planned to sign the bill Tuesday afternoon. But this morning, Circuit Judge Charles Price ordered that the bill not be sent to Bentley, after the Alabama Education Association filed suit on behalf of a citizen Monday.
From Alabama, Dan Carsen of member station WBHM filed this report for our Newscast desk:
“The lawsuit says the state legislators who crafted the plan violated Open Meetings laws when a well-known school flexibility bill came back from conference committee tripled in size. The Republican statehouse supermajority then quickly passed it over angry shouts. The new bill includes tax credits for students switching from struggling public schools to private schools. “
“Gov. Bentley admits previous supporters, including the state superintendent, were not told of the tax-credit plan because they wouldn’t have supported it. Bentley tweeted, ‘This bill is the greatest thing to happen to education in many years and will give schools the chance to improve.’”
As al.com’s Kim Chandler reports, Price has extended his hearing on the bill to Wednesday morning. Tuesday afternoon, a Democratic member of the conference committee on the bill described how he grew suspicious after his Republican colleagues left the room together.