Legislation: Good Bills and Bad bills - 2018

   It's time to start reviewing public school legislation, both good and bad, since the 2018 regular session has just begun.
   First off, the Lindsey Nicole Henry Voucher law provides taxpayer scholarships to students with special needs to any private school in the state which would accept the students. It has resulted in $millions in taxpayer dollars being funneled away from our local public schools and to several private schools statewide. It has also resulted in public school funding cuts for our public school students, and eventually could result in increased taxes for everyone.
   House Bill 2782 by Representative Tim Downing, would expand the LNH voucher program to include vouchers for students who have an incarcerated parent. Such students would be eligible for the program even if they've never attended a public school in the past. Mr. Downing's bill clearly diverts from the original intent of the program to serve only students with learning disabilities. It continues the practice of adding groups of voucher-eligible students as a means to eventually make vouchers available to all students and will reduce the state aid available to public schools - (Since 2011, the LNH voucher program diverted nearly $14 million in public money to private schools. This attempt to erode public school funding harms the 700,000 students who attend public schools.
   Downing's voucher bill was due to be heard in the House Rules Committee last week, but the committee chairman put the bill aside and it was "laid over" for later consideration. It's difficult to understand Mr. Downing's interest in privatizing our public schools, since he is an attorney by profession. Those lawmakers at the capitol usually focus on their area of expertise and author only bills which lie in their area. For instance, usually only those lawmakers whose past experience is in a given profession will author bills in that area. Teachers, other public school employees, and past school board members usually focus on education. Attorneys usually focus on state corrections bills and other bills which require a bit of "legal" knowledge. It becomes confusing to many when an ex-educator authors a bill which has nothing to do with our public schools... or when an attorney authors a bill which has everything to do with our public schools, but nothing in common with an area of true expertise. Only time will tell, when HB 2782 comes up again later in the session... maybe he will enlighten our local public schools.