Vic’s Statehouse Notes #82 – April 21, 2011, 6:00pm

Dear Friends,

In a deeply disappointing vote taken at 11:31 this morning, the Senate passed the voucher bill 28-22.

Here are the 22 heroes who stood up for public education and opposed the voucher bill in spite of amazing pressure from Governor Daniels, State Superintendent Bennett and the Republican leadership:

Voting Nay

Sen. Alting                           Sen. Head                           Sen. Randolph                  Sen. Tomes

Sen. Arnold                         Sen. Hume                          Sen. Rogers                       Sen. Waterman

Sen. Becker                         Sen. Lanane                       Sen. Simpson                     Sen. R. Young

Sen. Boots                           Sen. Mishler                       Sen. Skinner                      Sen. Zakas

Sen. Breaux                        Sen. Mrvan                         Sen. Tallian

Sen. Broden                        Sen. Nugent                       Sen. Taylor

Here are the 28 Senators who abandoned the interests of public school students in the most crucial privatization vote of our generation and have endorsed the diversion of public dollars to private and religious school students as well as to home school students:

Voting Yea

Sen. Banks                          Sen. Glick                           Sen. Lawson                        Sen. Smith

Sen. Bray                            Sen. Grooms                      Sen. Leising                         Sen. Steele

Sen. Buck                           Sen. Hershman                  Sen. Long                             Sen. Walker

Sen. Charbonneau             Sen. Holdman                    Sen. Merritt                        Sen. Waltz

Sen. Delph                         Sen. Kenley                       Sen. Miller                          Sen. Wyss

Sen. Eckerty                     Sen. Kruse                         Sen. Paul                             Sen. Yoder

Sen. Gard                          Sen. Landske                    Sen. Schneider                    Sen. M. Young

This was a hostile vote against public school students and puts the future support of public education in doubt.  Will the 28 Senators see it that way?  Only if you let them know your disappointment and the consequences in your local situation.  Currently they are happily being congratulated by the lobbyists for private school groups and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

The Debate

The bill was introduced by Sen. Kruse, the sponsor of the school scholarship bill.  He noted the amendment that added a $1000 tax deduction “for students in a private school.”  He did not mention that this deduction would extend to home school students as well.  He described the two levels of income that would qualify a family for scholarship support, $40,000 and $60,000.  He noted Sen. Steele’s amendment which he described as “requirements of patriotism.”  Then he asked for support for the bill.

Sen. Becker then rose to speak against the bill.  She called the bill a “very bad piece of legislation” that would go a long way toward “destroying public schools in the state of Indiana.”  She said the bill would give financial support to private and parochial schools.  She described a survey in her district with 2300 responses which showed 68% opposed to the use of public funding to support parochial schools.  She said this bill wasn’t for low income families or for students in failing schools.  She compared the $61,000 family income in the bill with the median family income in Indiana of $45,427.  She said 68% of her constituents would qualify for parochial school vouchers.  She said low income for food stamps was defined as $22,000 and for Medicaid as $12,000.  She said the truly low income families would not be able to afford the additional tuition needed to go to a private school.

She then said the timing of this bill is poor.  Public schools were cut by$300 million for the past two years.  Only a small amount of that was restored last Friday with the higher revenue forecast.  She said this bill “will take money from public schools.  Public schools will have less.”  She said she was proud to support Gov. Orr’s A+ program which brought more accountability and more help for schools.  She said remediation funds were trimmed from $20 million in 2000 to $6 million in 2010.  She said “we are doing better with less,” but this bill is “really bad public policy” which would put us on a “slippery slope” downhill.  She urged her colleagues to vote “No.”

No one else asked to speak, and the roll call vote began.

It should be noted that the normally loquacious Senate Democrats were subdued all morning today on this and other bills following the contentious debate yesterday on the budget amendment to penalize walkouts, now being called “legislative bolting.”  After a lengthy debate on the amendment which was clearly not over, the Democrats were visibly stunned to hear Sen. Hershman call for the question to end the debate.   Senate tradition for years has been to extend debate as needed.  No one had called for the question in the Senate in recent memory.  The Democrats did not take it lightly, walked out for the vote on that amendment, and made their feelings known through a speech by Senate Minority Leader Vi Simpson later in yesterday’s session.  Emotions from that episode were still obvious in the chamber today.    

Analyzing the Vote  

Nine Republicans and all 13 Democrats opposed the bill.  All 28 voting in favor are Republicans.  Going into the vote, I had counted 25 opposed.  Here are the details:

• Sen. Steele (R-Bedford) had opposed the bill strongly for over a month.  He sponsored a second reading amendment on Tuesday stating how private and religious schools would have to comply with a long list of curriculum and patriotic practices and would have to be visited by IDOE annually.  After his amendment passed 48-0, I wondered if he would now vote for the bill, but I heard from several sources that he was still opposed to the bill.  Either those sources were incorrect or something changed his mind overnight.
• Sen. Charbonneau (R-Valparaiso) had opposed the bill for several weeks but had told several sources that if the bill was restricted to vouchers for students in failing schools, he could support it.  I watched the amendments on Tuesday closely, but his amendment to limit vouchers to failing schools never came up.  Based on no limitation to failing schools, I thought he would vote no today.  He didn’t.
• Sen. Landske (R-Cedar Lake) had shown independence in opposing the Governor on the charter bill, and local leaders in Lake County were working hard to get her to oppose vouchers.  I was told by several sources that she would indeed oppose the voucher bill.  She didn’t.
• Sen. Paul (R-Richmond) had also opposed the charter bill and was showing the independence needed to oppose the Governor on vouchers.  Two days before the vote, however, he started telling people he would support the voucher bill, and he did.
• Sen. Glick (R-LaGrange) listened with an open mind to me and others on Monday.  She gave careful consideration to the constitutionality of the bill.  On Tuesday, she told me she had read the materials regarding the constitutional questions and had decided she would vote “yes” and see what the courts decide, and that is how she voted today.
• Sen. Mishler (R-Bremen) also took the position that he would only vote for the voucher bill if it limited vouchers to failing schools.  The amendments did not put such limits on the bill, and so I expected him to vote “no.”  He was good to his word and voted “no.”
• Sen. Zakas (R-Granger) had told several sources he would be voting for vouchers, but then two days ago I started hearing that he was leaning toward a “no” vote.  His local leaders made several more contacts.  Happily, he voted “no” today.