Thursday, March 10, 2016

Vic’s Statehouse Notes #259 – March 9, 2016

Dear Friends,

One vote.

House Bill 1005, which now includes the voucher expansion contained in Senate Bill 334, passed by one vote tonight, 51-44.

Bills must have 51 votes to pass.

Earlier this evening, HB 1005 narrowly passed the House Rules Committee 6-4.

Your messages have made a big difference! These votes were far closer than expected.

If you don’t like the outcome, you can let your Senator or other Senators know how you feel about voucher expansion. Senators will vote on the final version of HB 1005 tomorrow, starting with the Senate Rules Committee at 10am and the floor session at 10:45.

Details of the Vote

The opposition was bipartisan, with 16 Republicans and 28 Democrats voting NO.

Republicans (16) voting no: Representatives Arnold, Aylesworth, Cook, Davisson, Dermody, Eberhart, Frye, Kirchhofer, Koch, Mahan, McNamara, Negele, Saunders, Schaibley, Truitt and Washburne.

Democrats (28) voting no: Representatives Austin, Bartlett, Bauer, DeLaney, Dvorak, Errington, Forestal, GiaQuinta, Goodin, Hale, Harris, Kersey, Klinker, Lawson, Macer, Moed, Moseley, Niezgodski, Pelath, Pierce, Porter, Pryor, Riecken, Shackleford, V. Smith, Summers, Stemler and Wright.

Public education advocates should thank all 44 for their no vote.


Support for the bill was not bipartisan, with 51 Republicans voting YES.

Republicans (51) voting yes: Representatives Bacon, Baird, Behning, Beumer, Borders, T. Brown, Burton, Carbaugh, Clere, Cox, Culver, DeVon, Ellington, Fine, Friend, Frizzell, Gutwein, Hamm, Harman, Heaton, Judy, Karickhoff, Lehe, Lehman, Leonard, Lucas, Lyness, Mayfield, Miller, Morrison, Morris, Nisly, Ober, Olthoff, Price, Rhoads, Richardson, Slager, Smaltz, M. Smith, Soliday, Speedy, Steuerwald, Sullivan, Thompson, Torr, VanNatter, Wesco, Zent, Ziemke and Speaker Bosma.


Five Representatives were excused: Republican Representatives Braun, Cherry, Huston and Wolkins and Democrat Representative C. Brown.

Voucher expansion hangs in the balance in HB 1005. This was a very close vote in the House. Now it is up to the Senate.

Contact Senate members about your opposition tonight or tomorrow, the last day of the session. The Senate session is scheduled to begin at 10:45.

Let them know that in Indiana’s bicentennial year, the issue of voucher expansion is too important to be the subject of last minute backroom maneuvers.

Thanks for standing up for public education!


Best wishes,

Vic Smith

“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!

ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools. We need your membership to help support ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.

Our lobbyist Joel Hand continues to represent ICPE during the 2016 short session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!

Go to www.icpe2011.com for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!

Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:

I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana.

###

No comments: