After a nearly two-hour debate, the Georgia Senate decided against voting on charter school legislation that split the body along party lines.
Republican-backed HR 1162 would allow voters to determine if they want to change Georgia's constitution to give the state more power to authorize and fund charter schools.
Wednesday's action shows the bill faces an uncertain fate in the Senate after having won two-thirds support in the House.Delaying the vote does not mean it won't be passed during this session. But two-thirds of senators would have to support it for it to pass, something that is out of reach for the moment.
Republicans hold a majority in the 56-member Senate, but they would need to get the support of all 36 Republican members and at least two Democrats.
But Democrats on Wednesday showed no willingness to drop their opposition to the legislation, which Republicans have pushed in response the Georgia Supreme Court's decision last May which determined the state could not force local school districts to pay for charter schools they did not authorize.
The Georgia Charter Schools Commission had approved the applications of charter school backers who had failed to get the support of their local school districts. The commission's approval allowed the charter schools to get local funding even if the local school board had rejected the charter school application.
Separate legislation spelling out how those schools would be funded makes clear that local districts would not have to pay for charter schools they did not approve. The state would fund the schools it approves.
Democrats, however, attacked the charter schools legislation on multiple fronts, arguing that the state has struggled to fund traditional public schools and would struggle even more if charter schools got more local funding. And Democrats attempted to turn what is usually a Republican mantra-- local control is best -- against them, arguing that having the state authorize charter schools instead of local districts was a violation of that principle.
"Either you believe in local control, or you don't," Sen. Vincent Fort, D-Atlanta, said.
Wednesday's floor action was a strategic test of sorts for the charter schools legislation.
“Often, people don’t move until they have the votes, but I think this is a different type of strategy,” said Tim Callahan, a spokesman for the Professional Association of Georgia Educators.
“It’s a test vote,” Callahan said, to see who Republican leaders needed to arm-twist in support of the measure.
Sen. John Wilkinson, R-Toccoa, was the sole Republican who voted against the measure when it was approved by the Education and Youth Committee. Wilkinson had heard from every school system he represented, and all were opposed to the amendment.
Still, his committee vote made him a target of the bill's supporters.
The Center for an Educated Georgia, which is part of the Georgia Family Council, has begun a “coffee challenge” to urge on supporters.
It is offering school-choice advocates $10 Starbucks gift cards -- and a chance to win a $100 pre-loaded debit card -- if they meet with lawmakers in person for at least five minutes to share their story.
Staff writer Kristina Torres contributed to this story.
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