Senate OKs ed train, but will House embrace?

The Senate just voted 31-6, with Democrats opposed, for a "train bill" of education reforms that Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, created in this final week of the session. But House Republican education leaders' opposition to the last-minute train could result in the proposed reforms collapsing altogether this year.

Gaetz's bill that just passed essentially turns the House version (HB 7045) into one piece of legislation containing four different bills that had been sailing fairly smoothly through the majority-Republican Legislature. The proposals include financial and nepotism standards for charter schools, tougher ethics policies for educators, a more nuanced way of grading high schools, and a $30-million expansion of the corporate income tax scholarship program that sends public school kids into private schools.

The scholarship addition angers some Senate Democrats, who might otherwise have voted for Gaetz' proposal this morning. And Rep. Joe Pickens, doesn't want the educator ethics legislation to pass as part of the train. He wants it as a standalone bill, in what he says is respect for its sponsor, outgoing Sen. Lisa Carlton, R-Osprey.

Session ends tomorrow, so unless the two chambers can work out their differences - and soon - the Senate's approval this morning won't matter. Bills are dying, bills are dying...

The Senate just voted 31-6, with Democrats opposed, for a "train bill" of education reforms that Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, created in this final week of the session. But House Republican education leaders' opposition to the last-minute train could result in the proposed reforms collapsing altogether this year.

Gaetz's bill that just passed essentially turns the House version (HB 7045) into one piece of legislation containing four different bills that had been sailing fairly smoothly through the majority-Republican Legislature. The proposals include financial and nepotism standards for charter schools, tougher ethics policies for educators, a more nuanced way of grading high schools, and a $30-million expansion of the corporate income tax scholarship program that sends public school kids into private schools.

The scholarship addition angers some Senate Democrats, who might otherwise have voted for Gaetz' proposal this morning. And Rep. Joe Pickens, doesn't want the educator ethics legislation to pass as part of the train. He wants it as a standalone bill, in what he says is respect for its sponsor, outgoing Sen. Lisa Carlton, R-Osprey.

Session ends tomorrow, so unless the two chambers can work out their differences - and soon - the Senate's approval this morning won't matter. Bills are dying, bills are dying...