School voucher expansion narrowly approved by House Education Committee
School voucher expansion narrowly approved by House Education Committee
FOR VOUCHERS: Rep. Ken Bragg gives closing argument for his voucher bill.
The House Education Committee took up an expansion of
private school vouchers this morning and ran into opposition at taking money from public schools and placing an additional burden on the Education Department.
Advertisement
In the end, the bill received a do-pass on an 11-9 vote. The initial roll call was 10-9, but chair Rep. Bruce Cozart gave the bill the 11th voted needed to send it to the floor. He could be heard saying he’d “changed my mind” so that it could reach floor debate. Opponents included three Democrats (Love, Murdock and Godfrey) and six Republicans (Deffenbaugh, Speaks, Maddox, Hollowell, Lee Johnson and Stu Smith). All the aye votes were Republicans, including Pulaski Republicans Lowery and Brown.