House vote coming Wednesday on Opportunity Scholarships waiting list
(The Center Square) – Step two of likely four in clearing a waiting list of about 55,000 students wanting school choice in North Carolina happens on Wednesday when the House of Representatives takes up a bill passed Monday by the Senate.
Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto is expected to be the third step, and a veto override would be the fourth.
The spending plan first announced Friday, essentially a mini-budget amendment to the state’s two-year fiscal plan, will also supply more money for Medicaid and rural broadband access. The bill began, and contains, language for all 100 county sheriffs to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers.
The proposal remains known as Require Sheriffs to Cooperate with ICE. It came back to both legislative bodies with agreement from respective conferees Sens. Warren Daniel of Burke County, Danny Earl Britt of Robeson County and Buck Newton of Wilson County, and Reps. Destin Hall of Caldwell County and Brenden Jones of Columbus County.
The $463 million going to Opportunity Scholarships is, however, the big piece of the pie and the key talking point for both parties. Republicans favor it, citing the immense appeal of school choice; Democrats decry it, saying it erodes the public school system.
Opportunity Scholarships can be used for students to attend another traditional K-12 public school, charter schools or private schools. Charter schools are public schools, a fact that is often either mischaracterized or outright mistaken.
Monday’s Senate vote went along party lines with no Democrats for it and no Republicans opposed. Each party had three excused absences.
The legislation would provide a retroactive option for reimbursement of costs this fall at private schools.
Education efforts get $95 million toward K-12 enrollment increases and $64 million for community college enrollment growth.
Health care assistance includes $277 million in recurring funding and $100 million in nonrecurring funding for Medicaid.
And toward business growth, there is $150 million for major transportation improvements at the Randolph County megasite and $55.1 million for infrastructure improvements to support economic development in Chatham County.
