Friday, March 5, 2010

House approves special-needs scholarship bill

Oklahoma state lawmakers voted yesterday to approve House Bill 3393, which provides scholarships to students with disabilities (such as Down syndrome or autism). The debate is here. Some remarks from advocates are here. The roll-call vote was 78-19. Of the 19 nays, four were Republicans: Rep. Ann Coody (R-Lawton), Rep. Corey Holland (R-Marlow), Rep. Shane Jett (R-Tecumseh), and Rep. Skye McNiel (R-Bristow). Regrettably, when it comes to voting against school choice, Coody, Jett, and McNiel are repeat offenders. One wonders if they have seen this brief clip:



Yesterday's vote was the second time in two weeks school-choice supporters have had reason to cheer. On February 16 the Senate Finance Committee approved Senate Bill 1922, a school-choice tax credit bill authored by Sen. Dan Newberry (R-Tulsa). That bill now advances to the full Senate for consideration.

UPDATE: The FOX 25 story on the special-needs scholarships bill is here. A NEWS9 interview with Rep. Jason Nelson is here.

1 comment:

Stuart said...

Excellent argument, Brandon. This blog is one of the best things we have going for our alliance in Oklahoma. Thanks for taking this on. It's making a difference! I'm sure of it.
Great video too.