Debate on a bill the House has voted on can be reopened if the majority supports a motion to “reconsider.” The House voted this morning defeated a motion to reconsider yesterday’s vote on SB 193.

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For further background on the legislative prospects for SB 193, here are highlights from Dave Solomon’s coverage in today’s Union Leader:

A controversial school choice bill that would have directed some of the state’s education funds to parents for private school tuition failed in the House on Wednesday, despite the strong support of Gov. Chris Sununu and Republican leadership in the House and Senate.

A concern over the potential loss of funds to public schools, cited by Republican Neal Kurk of Weare, chairman of the Finance Committee, was a major issue leading to a 170-159 vote to send the bill, SB 193, to interim study.

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After an evening in which both sides would have subjected Republican’s who supported the Interim Study motion to intense lobbying, there will be more maneuvering on the House floor today, attempting to bring the bill up for reconsideration. If Sb 193 supporters lose again today, they may try to insert the bill into another piece of legislation still in process (the session is scheduled to end on May 24).

So please stay tuned for further opportunities to communicate with your legislators.

Immediately below is the roll call, alphabetical by House Member’s last name, copied and pasted from the General Court web site. Below that is the same table, sorted by party and vote. Below that, the table is sorted by vote and party. (more…)

Now that the Diocese lobbying effort is out there, Bishop Libasci has cut to the heart of the issue with straight talk.

The Bishop’s message is no longer about empowering families who need an alternative to the excellent learning environment in our public schools but that legislators should vote for for SB 193 to pay Catholic school tuition.

Bishop Libasci crystallizes the issue SB 193 has put before the Legislature in his new letter to his parishioners: (more…)

The Portsmouth Herald and its related seacoast papers ran the strong editorial below this morning on why SB 193 should be sent to Interim Study. The vote is tomorrow and supporters are putting together elaborate plans to get something passed to keep the bill alive. Now would be a great time to call your House member and follow up with an email about why the bill should be defeated (get their contact info here if you know who they are and here if you don’t):

The New Hampshire House Finance Committee is to be commended for its in-depth analysis of Senate Bill 193, which led it to warn that more study is needed before the state authorizes so-called “freedom savings accounts” for students.

After holding 13 work sessions and several public hearings on the bill, the Finance Committee voted 14-12 last week to recommend the bill be referred to interim study, where its many flaws can be addressed over the summer and fall to benefit a future Legislature.

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American Catholic schools have always been a great source of learning in a context of values and discipline. But times are tough. While New Hampshire public schools have lost 12% of their enrollment over the past 10 years, our private schools have lost 19%. They are down from 20,000 students in 2008 to 16,000 students now (NHDOE).

New Hampshire’s nationally-known private schools are doing fine but the local, mostly church-based, schools are hard hit by those enrollment declines. It’s a national phenomenon that NPR did a story on a year ago, observing, (more…)

Dave Solomon provides a complete report on SB 193 status and prospects in today’s Union Leader:

Call them private school vouchers or freedom scholarships, but either way the school choice bill, SB 193, is going to the full House next week with a negative vote from the House Finance Committee.

The Senate-passed bill has been worked and reworked by committee members for months in the hope of reaching a compromise that would attract the votes of all 15 Republicans on the 26-person House panel.

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Here is a 10 minute interview with Governor Sununu about SB 193. The dominant theme is that all the opposition comes from “the unions”, which have spent big money to oppose the bill. We do, of course, hope that teachers would oppose a bill that would burden their local property taxpayers and reduce their ability to teach their students. But all of you know that opposition is far broader and deeper than that. (more…)

In the face of unremitting pressure from the Governor and House leadership, House Finance chair Neal Kurk (R, Weare, rep03281@aol.com) and Reps. Frank Byron (R, Littlefield, frank.byron@leg.state.nh.us ) and Robert Theberge (R, Berlin, robert.theberge@leg.state.nh.us) voted with all committee Democrats to send SB 193 to the House with a recommendation of Interim Study.

Chairman Kurk said, explaining his vote briefly, “I was not elected to downshift costs to my constituents.”

Please take a minute to express your appreciation for the strong stands taken by Reps. Kurk, Byron and Theberge (email addresses above).

It will take that same kind of fortitude and conviction for others to oppose the bill when it comes up for a vote on Thursday, May 3th. Many in both parties agree that business and property taxes should benefit all public school children rather than subsidizing private school for a few. So now is the time to write or call your Reps (contact info is here) and let them know there is a lot of support out there for doing the right thing.