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3/5/13
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1482 views
updated
Bentley says he will sign bill if it gets to him
Gov. Robert Bentley this morning defended the school bill that will allow state education money to follow students from failing public schools to private ones, saying he will sign it today if it gets to him.
But that may not happen.
A Montgomery judge temporarily blocked the governor from signing a private school tax credit bill and set a hearing for this afternoon after the Alabama Education Association filed a lawsuit over the bill.
The teachers' group's suit argues the Legislature violated Alabama's open meetings law and its own operating rules when it passed the legislation with a quick series of votes Thursday night, the Associated Press reports. AEA maintains the tax credits would hurt funding for public schools because Alabama's income tax supports public education.
Bentley, speaking outside the Capitol today, said that amid the controversy a lot of good things in the bill are getting lost.
“People don’t realize how important this bill is,” he said. The bill still contains the flexibility measures that superintendents originally supported.
“This is something they’ve worked for for years,” Bentley said. “Now they have it.”
He said he still doesn’t know how much the tax credits could cost the state in lost education trust fund revenue.
The complaint alleges four Republican members of the conference committee violated the open meetings law when they left for two hours, returning with the renamed and expanded Alabama Accountability Act.
"Union boss Henry Mabry will use whatever tactic, no matter how frivolous, to preserve the broken status quo that has failed our state for decades," said House Speaker Mike Hubbard in a statement. "An effort to ensure a quality education for every children is something that deserves support, but Mabry's misguided priorities have led him to believe failing schools are acceptable. This is a lawsuit against every Alabama student and parent who wishes for a better future and a better public education."
Mabry is head of the Alabama Education Association. The AEA is not a party to the lawsuit, but AEA lawyers are among several that filed the complaint.
A spokesman for Bentley said he had planned to sign the bill into law at 1 p.m.
"It's unfortunate that anyone would try to stop a bill that gives students in failing schools more options to receive a quality education," said Senate Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston.
The Alabama Association of School Boards, which also has come out against the bill, said it could drain as much as $367 million from the Education Trust Fund. The state Department of Education issued a list of concerns with the bill Monday.
According to Marsh, the bill would affect 202 schools that meet the definition of "failing" in the bill.
Democrats in the Alabama House blasted their Republican counterparts not just for the school flexibility bill’s contents but the process that was used to pass it. If Democrats regain the majority in 2014, they said the first thing they’d do is repeal the law.
They said they were only given about 30 minutes to read the bill, which grew from nine pages to 27, before the vote Thursday night. As a result, Minority Leader Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, said Democrats for the rest of the legislative session are “going to slow the process down.”
Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow, D-Red Bay, said the bill, which includes scholarship provisions for those who can’t afford private school tuition even with the tax credit, will allow private schools to recruit the best athletes and students from failing public schools.
Rep. Marcel Black, D-Tuscumbia, said that under this bill, all public schools will lose money.
Rep. Patricia Todd, D-Birmingham, who normally doesn’t caucus with her fellow Democrats, joined them to say that they and voters had been deceived on Thursday.
“Every citizen had a right to participate in that process,” she said. “If you believe in democracy, you should be outraged.”
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Hmmm.... Should we trust our gov't???
In with the new boss, same as the old boss!! Hey Bentley what happened to your transparant government and accountability?! He is a crook just like the last govoner!! All citizens for this bill better call and ask what it is going to cost the taxpayer, for which Bentley and his CRONIES have not told you!!!!!
This the the very reason that I opted out of the AEA and the Democrat Party. Chicago style thuggery from union bosses doesn't belong in Alabama and in our classrooms. All AEA leadership is concerned with is losing their union dues wss. hich pays the salaries the union thugs. Where else but in Alabama does a union thug boss (Hubbert) receive retirement pay from the state?
Amen Ted, keep the people ignorant and they will follow. Alabama is a following fool!!
no state money should go to private schools period!!!!!! they are private businesses.......has in for PROFIT!!!
Amen to that Ted!
I had two aunts who were die hard democrat school teachers and AEA members until I educated them as to what Paul Hubbard was doing, and had done, to this state a few years ago. When they quit AEA and stopped paying Paul Hubbard's protection racket you would have thought they had double crossed Al Capone. I talked to both of them yesterday and they have no problem with the new law. Both are hoping it will get rid of some of the top heavy administrative cost and the few dead wood teachers still in the class room.
It is funny to see the AEA crying about how badly Robert Bentley is treating them after they poured thousands of dollars into his campaign to beat Bradley Byrne. Poetic justice indeed!
Tammy
Should public money be used to pay the retirement of a union thug?
Tammy
Should public money be used to pay the retirement of a union thug?
Tammy,
Should grocery stores make a profit off of EBT cards?
Of course this bill will hurt public schools; that is the purpose of this and similar bills being passed nationwide. Walmart-like schools funded with taxpayer dollars are the plan. Pay the teaching staff low wages, rake in the taxpayer dough and send it to billionaire owners of chain charter schools.
Getting taxpayers to help fund Walmarts throughout the nation has helped cause the demise of the middle class and the enrichment of the Walton family into incredible wealth. (By the way, the Waltons are contributors to the out-of-state lobbyist group that wrote this bill.)
no!
and the grocery store question is just idiotic. grocery items ain't gonna go down in price just because a EBT card is used. profit is tied to price of item.....
Sparkman, just who do you think is the controlling interest in Pearson? Are you aware of Pearson's role in the Common Core Curriculum? I guess it's okey-dokey with you to make Bill Gates even richer, as long as you get to keep your overpaid, gold-plated, guaranteed-employment job, regardless of your performance. Your attitude is despicable.
We parents have had enough. It's time you realized that if you don't do the job you are tasked to do -- educating our children -- then you won't have a job anymore. Welcome to the real world.
Linda, you don't sound like much of a parent if you are ready to scold someone you don't even know (I'm not a teacher, for one thing) for failing to magically make your child educated. You are your child's primary educator and motivator, so do your own job at home, and don't count on the school to feed, clothe, counsel and do all the jobs a parent is supposed to do. As for Common Core Curriculum, that was brought in by the lawmakers, not teachers or parents.
Amen Sparkman Junior!