Budget clears House, Senate panels, but voucher bill on hold

Finance committees in the House and Senate passed a $52.6 billion budget Tuesday containing funds for a private-school voucher plan. But the bill to create a voucher program stayed stuck in neutral – if not dead.

The Senate finance committee and House finance subcommittee declined to take up any of three voucher plans floating in the General Assembly, even though leaders in both chambers say talks continue, even as the prospects look grim. 

The Senate budget plan contains nearly $145 million to cover the cost of 20,000 students receiving $7,200 each to enroll in private schools. House spending contains money for private-school vouchers, but the plan also included school construction and a proposal to pay more for teachers’ health insurance instead of salary increases. 

Budget proposals still have to be approved by the full House and Senate before going to the governor for his signature.

Gov. Bill Lee and leaders of both chambers are stuck, though, in disagreement over their three plans. The Senate and House can’t agree, either, on proposals to dial back standardized testing and allow public school students to transfer from one district to another.

Jitters about the 2024 election are also believed to be affecting lawmakers as they face opposition from the far right and school officials in their districts. Both groups oppose school vouchers. 

The voucher proposals appeared to be dead Monday, and the House finance subcommittee’s failure to take it up Tuesday dimmed its prospects further. Failure in that committee could have returned the bill to the clerk’s office where it would be exceedingly difficult to revive.

But Republican House Majority Leader William Lamberth of Portland said the finance panel would take up the measure Wednesday, as leaders from both chambers continued their mantra that the voucher bill remains alive.

Lamberth noted the House budget contains the highest amount the “education freedom scholarship” program could cost. 

Senate finance committee chairman Bo Watson, meanwhile, said, “The Senate is poised and could pass a [school]’ ‘choice’ bill today.”

But that move is being blocked by philosophical differences between the two chambers.

The Senate finance committee rejected an effort by Democratic Sen. London Lamar of Memphis to redirect the $145 million for vouchers to teacher pay raises and more resources for public schools.