Charter supporters had a big win yesterday!
An amendment stripping a funding provision from charter legislation has failed.
Yesterday, House Republicans decided not to move an amendment forward that would have stripped Part II from House Bill 729 – Charter Schools Omnibus. That section of the bill allows a county commission to give funding to a charter school for facility use.
Rep. von Haefen, (D) from Wake County, submitted the amendment on the House floor as lawmakers discussed the bill. However, lawmakers fended off the amendment, ultimately passing H 729 by a vote of 63-52.
A call to action
Prior to the vote, the Coalition rallied charter leaders and supporters, urging them to contact their representatives. The Coalition asked them to urge lawmakers to support H 729 as written. We suggested the following talking points:
- The bill would give the RIGHT, NOT the REQUIREMENT, for county commissioners to provide charters with capital, technology, or furniture and fixtures funding.
- The terms under which the funding is furnished is at the discretion of the county commissioners.
- The bill explicitly requires a deed of trust for the amount provided for real property. This means the county would be paid first if the property is ever sold, unless it agrees otherwise.
Thanks to the efforts of charter school supporters, the bill stays alive with Part II and moves to the Senate!
