The School Choice bill, HB1371 was defeated. Apparently, some Republicans who failed to support the bill are feeling the heat from constituents and want a second chance to vote “yes.”
HB1371 would enable parents to have school choice for their children through the creation of a scholarship and grant program. School Choice would also help parents be heard by school administrators because the parents would have a better opportunity to move their children from a badly run school.
The bill should have easily passed. First, School Choice is an important plank in the Arkansas Republican platform. Second, it would not have been included in the platform if School Choice wasn’t important to parents who are concerned about their children’s education. Third, Republicans have a supermajority in the Arkansas House of Representatives and do not need a single Democrat vote to pass legislation. But the bill did not pass.
What stopped it from passing? School superintendents and their lobbyists strongly opposed the bill and legislators tend to listen to them because who wants to have school administrators trying to defeat you in the next election?
The bill needed 51 votes to pass in the House but only received 44 “Yes” votes.
After the vote, the sponsor, Representative Ken Bragg (R-Sheridan), said he would not bring up the bill again. But it has been reported he has changed his mind and will try again. What encouraged him to try again?
We think it likely some Republican defectors have approached Rep. Bragg asking him to run the bill again so they can change their vote to a “Yes.” Are they feeling the heat from parents and Republican voters who are unhappy they bowed to school administrators to defeat the bill?
School superintendents and their lobbyists will continue to put intense pressure on your state Representative ahead of the next vote. Will you let the voice of the school lobbyists go unchallenged or will you speak up for School Choice?
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