Charter schools bill expected to move Friday

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The charter schools bill that seemed stalled days ago is now positioned to move through the House quickly on Friday.

The House's majority Republican leaders took steps late Thursday to hear a new version of the bill in the Education Committee Friday morning, then move the bill to the House floor for a vote later in the day.

House Speaker Jeff Hoover, R-Jamestown, said he expects the Republican priority bill – House Bill 520 – will pass. Hoover said that House Education committee Chairman John Carney "has worked extremely, extremely hard with folks from all over the spectrum on the issue of charter schools and he thinks he has put together a plan that is widely acceptable."

But House Democratic Leader Rocky Adkins, of Sandy Hook, protested Thursday night as the majority Republicans took the procedural steps to clear the way for Friday's vote. Adkins said members need time to review the changes that will be unveiled in committee, and any floor vote on the measure should be delayed until next week.

MORE FOR THE CJ

►Metro Council frustrated as homicide toll rises
►Humana cutting jobs in Louisville
►Neighborhood schools bill a no-go for JCPS
►Kentucky’s grossest food isn’t for the sheepish
►Nurse practitioners easing Kentucky’s doctor shortage
►ON THE GO? Download the CJ app for iPhone, Android  and iPad
►FOLLOW US: Watch the latest featured video on YouTube

"I would encourage us, especially on that issue, that we take our time before we bring that to the floor for the members of this body to vote on a unbelievable policy change," Adkins said.

But Hoover told reporters afterward that taking such quick action on an important bill is no different than what Adkins did when he was in the majority and Hoover was minority leader. "It's the same argument I made for 16 years. It just so happens he's now in the minority," Hoover said of Adkins' complaint.

Disagreements over key aspects of charter schools measure  slowed  consideration of the bill until late in the session. Carney, R-Campbellsville, has delayed bringing the bill before his committee. But he said on Thursday that discussions with various parties resulted in a breakthrough late Wednesday.

"I'm quite optimistic," Carney said.

He gave a couple of details of how the new version of House Bill 520 will look. For instance, he said the new bill will remove language allowing "virtual" charter schools.

"And we're also really working on some of the inter-district financing language, which was concerning to a lot of folks. I think we're making headway on that," he said. Carney said the substitute bill will likely say that if a student transfers to a charter school outside the student's school district "the funds would still stay in the old public school district."

Reporter Tom Loftus can be reached at 502-875-5136 or tloftus@courier-journal.com.