MONTGOMERY — State Sen. Larry Stutts (R-Tuscumbia) is confident about the chances of significant school choice legislation passing out of the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee.
Stutts predicted on Tuesday in an interview with 1819 News the legislation would be voted out of committee on Wednesday.
“We need to get it out of committee. It’s important to have an open public debate about an issue of this significance. It does not need to be killed behind closed doors,” Stutts said. “I don’t think that it will be. It would just be a travesty if we don’t allow open and honest public debate about it, and I’m fine with that. If you do that, the truth comes out on top. Yeah, we’re going to vote it out of committee.”
A public hearing was held on Senate Bill 202, also known as the Parental Rights in Children’s Education (PRICE) Act, a couple of weeks ago in the Senate Education Policy Committee. However, no vote was held on the legislation, and the bill was sent to the Finance and Taxation Education Committee.
State Rep. Ernie Yarbrough (R-Trinity) is carrying the House version of the legislation.
The bill allows parents to apply for Educational Savings Accounts (ESAs) of $6,900 for their children to attend a participating school or education provider.
The committee is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. at the State House on Wednesday.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
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