Supporters of school choice issues have held rallies and events in Frankfort before, but Friday's rally felt different, attendees said. Many longtime proponents feel like this will be their year, now that Republicans hold both legislative chambers and the governor’s office. "It will be exciting to see something, because it's been talked about for some time, and I would just like to see some change somewhere," said Jeff Chaplin, a parent who supports tax credits or vouchers for private school tuition. Vouchers might not be on tap yet, but bills likely to pass include charter school legislation and a bill providing a tax credit for donations to scholarships that help low- to middle-income students attend private schools. The latter idea was the focus of the rally, which included speeches by two bill sponsors in the House and Senate. "We need to get politics out of the way," said one of those sponsors, Rep. Bam Carney, R-Campbellsville. "We need to get race out of the way. We need to get economic status out of the way and do what's best by the child, and I'm convinced my 138 colleagues in Frankfort will make those measures happen and happen soon." The rally was held outside the Capitol building and sponsored by the National School Choice Coalition and EdChoice Kentucky. Despite cold temperatures and snow flurries, it drew a healthy crowd of least a couple hundred people. "I think everybody should have a choice to get the education that fits their needs, and the public schools around my area aren't fitting to my children's needs," said parent Paige Hunt. Critics point to states where charter schools have proven no more effective than traditional public schools, and worry they will only siphon resources from the public school system. Carney, a former public school social studies teacher now who now works in public schools administration, acknowledged those concerns. "Well, I think the first thing, to do it correctly, is to be cautious," he said. "The good thing is we've got 43 other models to look at, some have worked well, and some have not worked well. We've been trying to study those. So for many members this year, in the General Assembly, in both parties, there still is a lot of debate on what is the best approach." The 2017 General Assembly is in recess. It's scheduled to resume on Feb. 7.