Charter schools bill dead? Not yet!
Miracle of miracles, the charter school bill, all but dead after a loss in the Senate, won passage in the House yesterday by a narrow vote. The bill will likely be taken up by the Senate on Monday.
Whose votes will carry a great deal of weight in the Senate on Monday? A good place to start would be with the five Senate Republicans who did not support the bill Thursday:
Senator Davis, from Falmouth
Senator McCormick, from West Gardiner
Senator Raye, from Perry
Senator Sherman, from Houlton
Senator Trahan, from Waldoboro
If those five vote for the bill and the other Senate votes remain the same, the bill will prevail in the Senate and, if the vote holds in the House, the charter school bill will head to the governor, who supports it.
Supporters of charter schools need to be active this weekend. Word on the street is that the Maine Education Association has already sent some kind of action alert to its membership, encouraging them to contact legislators in order to urge a vote against the charter school bill.
Charter school supporters should make their voices heard as well, as the decisive Senate vote on the bill could come as soon as Monday.
Visit the legislature’s website to find out how to contact legislators, including the five listed above, and tell them we need charter schools in Maine.
Whether Maine will have charter schools or not will be decided within the next couple of days, and by a handful of votes. EVERY VOTE MATTERS!