AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine House on Thursday rejected a proposal by Gov. Paul LePage that would have allowed public education dollars to be used for private religious schools.
In an 84-59 vote without debate, the House accepted the majority “ought not to pass” report that was sent forth last week by the Education Committee. The bill now goes to the Senate.
LD 1866 was the simplest education bill introduced this session, but also one of the most controversial. It sought to repeal the language in state law that says “only nonsectarian private schools may be approved for the receipt of public funds for tuition purposes.”
The bill was one of four pieces of legislation proposed this session by LePage and Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen in an effort to further change the state’s education model.
During a public hearing earlier this month, LD 1866 received mixed reviews. Any student now can attend a religious school, but they must pay tuition.
Maine Attorney General William Schneider, who was asked to issue an opinion, said he didn’t think allowing public funds to go to private religious schools would violate the Constitution.
Schneider’s opinion did little to sway the Education Committee, which voted 10-3 against the measure.
All House Democrats who were present on Thursday voted against the bill and were joined by several Republicans. The 59 votes in favor of the bill came from Republicans.
“Today’s vote was a victory for Maine’s public schools and families,” said Rep. Dick Wagner of Lewiston, the Democratic lead on the Education Committee. “Public tax dollars should not be used to send some children to private religious schools.”
Rep. Gary Knight, R-Livermore Falls, was among those who voted in the minority.
“I saw it as another way to give students options,” he said. “Not every public school is right for every student. I was sorry to see this bill defeated.
Three other bills that were part of the governor’s education package still need to be resolved by the Legislature.
LD 1854 sought to create an open enrollment system that would allow schools to become “schools of choice” and accept students from outside their districts. That means students and families could enroll their students in these schools without needing permission from the district in which they reside and the local taxpayers dollars would go with them.
That bill also drew significant opposition during a public hearing this month and the Education Committee decided it would be best to study the idea and bring back recommendations to the next Legislature.
“The biggest issue about this whole idea of school choice has boiled down to dollars. It got away from what’s best for kids,” said Sen. Brian Langley, R-Ellsworth, co-chairman of the Education Committee. “If we had this [bill] in January, the committee could have probably done something, but we got it so late and had a lot of unanswered questions.
Democrats were glad to see the school choice bill put on hold.
“The committee agreed that he put forth complex public policy and we didn’t have time to vet it,” said Sen. Justin Alfond, D-Portland. “We felt it was more appropriate to go after the data and facts we need in order to do better work next session.”
The two other bills still await final votes in the House and Senate.
A bill that would create a uniform teacher evaluation system in Maine passed through the Education Committee last week after an amendment was added that ensures due process in the event a teacher is given poor reviews and terminated.
Earlier last week, the committee approved a bill that enhances career and technical education by syncing vocational education schedules with traditional classroom schedules.
Follow BDN reporter Eric Russell on Twitter @BDNPolitics
Thank God!
No money for religious schools and you’re thanking God, something just doesn’t seem right!
Thanking God has nothing to do with what side of this issue one is on. I sent my daughter to Catholic School on my own dime. When and if the government funds religous eductaion more students may very well attend, but it won’t be the same school program with public money invested.
God forbid the plebeians interact with the Saved!
The thing is that conservatives think that, politically speaking, they own God.
Wrap your head around that thinking, but it is clearly the point here.
Worse, that thinking leads to claiming that if you do have certain political views you are not really a child of God … so disposable, perhaps ?
It has been seen before, so how should we like them apples ?
Judging them by the fruit that they bare is logical, IF nothing else.
Churches then should take the money they don’t pay in taxes and give it to these schools. That sounds fair and balanced.
Schneider the soothsayer consulted his tea leaves and pronounced “he didn’t think allowing public funds to go to private religious schools would violate the Constitution.” Schneider the soothsayer should guzzle his tea juice beverage right down and see if his neck leaks as bad as his noggin. It could be a blown gasket.
It is really too bad we can not take it on a case by case basis . it just dose not seem to work that way. Nothing is completely Back or white.
Separation of Church and State is completely black or white. The only way to ensure religious freedom in this country is to keep them separate.
Now was this funding slated for Islamic and Christian schools? or Moonies, Mormons and Scientologists?
Very good point.
This country has an extreme right issue which has become entangled
with the religious right. They lay claim to be the “Rightly” owners of morality
and all earthly resources which is driven by their addiction to greed.
It was clearly slated for schools that would teach “christian” science instead of real science.
So how does that fit with the Governah saying Mainers are not educated enough for
the jobs of the future ?
Isn’t that a keystone of his education reform plans ?
If conservatives can’t have things two different ways at once they have nothing.
Christian science, now there’s a contradiction in terms. They won’t satisfied till they’ve fill several generations of children’s heads with non-empirical reasoning. To suggest there are two forms of science makes ->them<- irresponsible and dangerous.
“To suggest there are two forms of science is irresponsible and dangerous. ”
Thus the quotation marks in this : { schools that would teach “christian” science instead of real science.}
To think that suggests that there is more than one kind of of science,
and being huffy about it is REALLY pretty funny.
But yes, to suggest there are two forms of science is irresponsible and dangerous,
BarstVanDeRechts, so stop doing it.
I wasn’t refering to your post as suggesting that, I was agreeing with you. My bad, not written well. sorry about that, I edited the sentence.
It is the format here.
Made worse if your view is just reply to you.
At least most of the legislators have some common sense!!
I think it is that the majority of the Republicans like being in office and can see the writing on the wall if they continue on the path that the Tea Party set out for them. I think they are starting to see sense now.
Jobs Govner, Where are the Jobs?
In the paper, go look for one please…..
Schnieder caved in to his Tea Party supporter’s on this one and it’s gonna’ cost him. Even he knows that the 1954 Brown vs Board of Education decision clearly states that ‘Seperate but Equal’ is the biggest of no-no’s of all to be tried. This idea has been tried, and repeatedly shot down, by virtually every Court, both State and Federal, in the country. That he’s trying to bring this back to life is a sad commentary on just what it takes to attract, and be considered for, a political office. That he caved into the politically extreme right to satisfy his backer’s tells me that he’s getting desperate to both attract whatever backer’s he can, and, whatever campaign money is out there that they may have. Given the cost’s of this bill, had it been enacted, we’ed all be seeing a State-wide school system next year that would easily cost over twice what we are paying for now, duplication cost’s being what they are. Responsible educational investment, quality teaching ( and that means more than just showing up ) and demonstrated student performance, in both the academic and vocational (Okay call it ‘Trades’) area’s are what’s needed, not political pandering using our kid’s for educational or religious cannon fodder . Schnieder wants to run on an education platform, fine, here it is. Question is does he have the gut’s to run on it for the benefit of the kid’s or to appease his political right-wing buddy’s ? The next move is up to him.
Mabe kids could of had a good education. We do not want that……
If you want your kids to have a good education, become involved and don’t accept mediocrity from your children or their schools.
And pony up.
Must be an election year–those who stated things would change if R’s elected are still allowing the D’s to control them. Should have had a class on standing up to the opposition!
They have the majority because of indipendent voter who decided to give them a shot at it. Probably in the false hope that they would follow up on their claims that they were going to turn the jobs bleed around in this state.
The voters have had a chance to see where the Republican/MHPC/ALEC/Tea Party’s prioritys really are. The voters in general have been underwhelmed.
Yea, I guess they were too busy attending a class on doing what was right in this case to make the “standing up to the opposition, just because they are the opposition 101” class.
YES!Even some R’s get it right sometimes.APPLAUSE!
Oh snap ! I guess the teapot has sprung a leak !
Now can we stop this controversy junk and get back to the real issues of Maine.