House OKs Charter Facility Funding Bill

The House has voted 42-27 in favor of HB 206, the bill to send state general fund money to charter schools to cover their facility costs, through a per-student formula; the vote came after an hour-plus debate that stretched into the noon hour. “Our charter schools are in a situation, a dire situation, where in order for them to even keep their doors open, they need a little bit,” House Education Chairman Reed DeMordaunt, R-Eagle, told the House. But opponents objected to the funding mechanism, which directs a state match of a percentage of the total voter-approved bond and facility levies approved statewide to charter schools; those schools don’t have taxing authority for bonds or levies/Betsy Russell, Eye on Boise. More here.

• Voting in favor: Reps. Agidius, Anderson(01), Anderson(31), Anderst, Barbieri, Bateman, Batt, Bedke, Boyle, Clow, Collins, Crane, Dayley, DeMordaunt, Denney, Gestrin, Harris, Hartgen, Henderson, Hixon, Holtzclaw, Horman, Kauffman, Malek, Mendive, Miller, Monks, Morse, Nielsen, Packer, Palmer, Patterson, Perry, Shepherd, Stevenson, Thompson, Trujillo, VanOrden, Vander Woude, Wills, Wood(35), Youngblood
• Voting against: Reps. Andrus, Barrett, Bell, Bolz, Burgoyne, Chew, Erpelding, Eskridge, Gannon, Gibbs, Hancey, King, Kloc, Loertscher, Luker, McMillan, Meline, Moyle, Pence, Raybould, Ringo, Romrell, Rusche, Sims, Smith, Ward-Engelking, Wood(27)

Question: Do you agree/disagree with this House vote?