Thread by @FloridaEA

Rather than addressing the needs of the 90% of Florida's students attending public schools, SB 48 shifts more public funds to unaccountable private and religious schools.

We'll be watching at 11:30am when this bill comes up, and we'll provide live updates in this thread

Before the meeting starts, there is still time for you to let the Senate Appropriations Committee know why you oppose SB 48: feaweb.org/news/take-acti…

The meeting has begun. As always, you can follow along via @floridachannel thefloridachannel.org

The committee is discussing other bills to start the meeting, we'll pick up the thread when SB 48 is taken up.

SB 48 is now up. Sen. @SenMannyDiazJr is introducing his 158-page bill.

Full text is here: flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2…

(Yes, 5 minutes later, he is still introducing his bill. This is how you can know that he and any other senator suggest this bill is merely "consolidating" or "streamlining" the state's voucher's. The bill is much more nefarious.)

Now it's time for questioning. Sen. @FarmerForFLSen asks, "Are there any provisions in the bill that prohibit a school accepting this voucher money from increasing their tuition?"

Sen: @SenMannyDiazJr : "No."

Sen. @darrylrouson is next, "The education savings accounts, can they be used for anything?"

Sen. @SenMannyDiazJr: "There are narrow, tailored uses for these funds."

FYI: There are three pages of bill text for the "narrow" uses.

Sen @SenAudrey2eet: Students in voucher schools get special access to services that students in public schools don't get? Is that right?

Sen. @SenMannyDiazJr: Public school students get one thing on the "narrow" list I mentioned earlier, but not any of the rest.

Sen. @DougBroxson asks, "How do we make sure parents are held accountable for how the voucher funds are spent?"

Sen. @SenMannyDiazJr: "The protections are provided by the system."

That's what AZ thought as well... azcentral.com/story/news/pol…

Sen. @Powell4Senate offers an amendment which would require the voucher funding organizations to be audited annually instead of every three years.

@FloridaPTA speaks in favor of the amendment.

A spokesperson from @FloridaPTA notes that prior audits of the voucher funding organizations have had red flags and reducing the audit requirement to every three years would not be best for students or for taxpayer funds.

Sen. Powell's first amendment fails. He introduces another amendment which would limit vouchers to the current level of 185% of poverty, instead of the proposed 300%.

@emceeleman from @FundEducationFL speaks in favor of Powell's amendment. She says, "For a program that is supposed to help the students with the least means and least opportunities, this is not the right time to increase the cap."

Sen @FarmerForFLSen speaks in favor of the amendment: "As long as we are in the bottom 5, or so, of funding public schools, I don't think we need to be in the business of increasing funding to private schools"

Powell's amendment to ensure vouchers are reserved the the neediest students fails. Next is an amendment by Sen. @darrylrouson which would prohibit schools with discriminatory admission practices from receiving vouchers.

@darrylrouson notes that last year at least $129 million in public funds went to private schools that discriminate in their admission practices. But he withdraws his amendment citing other pending legislation which would resolve this problem.

The next amendment, also from @darrylrouson, would prevent voucher schools from receiving money dedicated to increasing salaries of public school teachers.

"Last year all of you dedicated funds specifically to public school teacher salaries. It's important you don't dilute those efforts," says @FLRetiredTeach speaking on behalf of FEA in favor of @darrylrouson's amendment

Not surprisingly, this amendment too fails.

Sen. @FarmerForFLSen introduces an amendment which would restrict growth of the voucher program citing that the fiscal impact of the bill is indeterminate and "We are the appropriations committee. We evaluate the cost of legislation and we should be more measured."

That is the last amendment. We are now on public testimony. First to testify is @FLBaloney the mother of two public school children, she says "I continue to be dismayed by the mischaracterization of this bill...it is a radical transformation of the voucher program."

"There are no academic standards. There are no curriculum standards. There is no academic oversight or accountability" of these public funds explains @FLBaloney of why she opposes SB 48.

"Voting on this bill less than three hours after it was rewritten is frankly bad government. Our children and our taxpayers deserve better," concludes @FLBaloney

@FundEducationFL also focuses on fiscal responsibility, "In a year where we have heard cuts will be made across the board, it seems misguided to expand vouchers."

Back in questioning on the main bill, Sen. @SenAudrey2eet asks, "Is there a public list of the items that are approved for purchase?"

Sen. @SenMannyDiazJr: Not really.

Sen @SenAudrey2eet tries again.

Sen @SenMannyDiazJr "Are you seeking specific items? I don't believe so."

Done with this round of questioning, now back to public testimony on the main bill. There are eight speakers in favor and eight opposed.

"The rich and well-connected will finally get what they want, a private school district for them and they are using tactics and relics of a racist past to get it," says the first speaker in opposition.

The first speaker in favor is a parent whose child currently uses vouchers. She loves that her children get small class sizes.

Incidentally, that's what we want for ALL of Florida's students--and they only way to get there is funding public schools

The next speaker in opposition tells a horror story of a student who had been old his high school degree from his voucher school was "worthless" when he applied for college.

In fact the DOE warns on their website diplomas from voucher schools might not be accepted by colleges.

A second parent tells the committee she likes her child's voucher school because it has small class sizes.

We'll reiterate, the ONLY way to get small class sizes for ALL students is to fund public schools. SB 48 defunds them.

"Taxpayers have a right to know their money is being well-spent," says the next speaker who opposes SB 48. She is concerned voucher schools have no accountability measures like public schools do.

"I am absolutely convinces that in a time where we need more transparency and openness that the solution is to provide less oversight and less understanding," tells Rev. Golden asking the committee to oppose the bill.

"Parental choice is meaningless without the transparency necessary to make informed choices," a speaker from @FLPTA_Leg tells the committee. "The time is not right for this legislation."

The principal from Dixon School of the Arts tells the committee, "We are a government-dependent private school. We cannot survive without government funding. Please continue to fund us."

"If I described a school district where your 2/3rds of the students’ schools had negative learning gains, showed a 61% attrition rate over two years and a taxpayer cost approaching 1.7 billion dollars, you would be asking the DOE to step in and help those students....."

The last speaker was cut off due to "time restrictions."

We'll note today is the third day of session. The bill is already in its third committee. There is plenty of time to hear from the public if the committee wanted to. It's clear Chair Stargel does not.

Public testimony has closed. We on on debate.

First in debate is @SenAudrey2eet who says, "I don't bemoan parents choosing how to educate their kids. What I do bemoan is hearing vouchers improve education..."

@SenAudrey2eet continues, "If we infused our public schools with the money we've given to voucher schools, we could ensure every child gets the best public education possible. It's our duty to make sure everyone gets the best education possible...not choosing winners & losers."

Sen. @FarmerForFLSen in debate says, "It's really an unfair taking of funds from public schools and given them to private schools that aren't held to accountability standards. Our funding should be equitable, not necessarily equal."

"We hear individual success stories and those are great. But for every story we hear there are failures. There are schools that are shut down...I cannot support this bill. We are going in the wrong direction."

"Are we done in debate?" asks @KeithPerryFL?

"We are if you want to hear any other bills today," responds @kellistargel.

Today is the third day of session, folks.

With debate rushed to a close, SB 48 has passed.

As has often been the case this year, it's hard to tell from a remote location exactly how each senator voted. We'll post the roll call votes as soon as it is available.

SB 48 passed on an 11-8 party line vote. All Republicans present voted in favor and all Democrats opposed.

Sen. Bean had an excused absence from the meeting.

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