Written By: Ben Boychuk
Published In: School Reform News
Publication date: 05/05/2010
Publisher: The Heartland Institute
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The Illinois House of Representatives has defeated a bill to establish a pilot voucher program for students in Chicago’s worst public schools.
The House on Wednesday afternoon voted 66-48 against SB 2494. The bill needed 60 votes to pass.
Legislators had debated a series of amendments to the bill on Tuesday and Wednesday, with several Republicans switching from “yes” to “no” and Democrats switching from “no” to “yes.”
A number of Democrats urged their colleagues to support the bill.
“I’m pleading with you, I’m begging you,” said Rep. Ken Dunkin (D-Chicago) during Wednesday’s emotional floor debate. “Help me help kids in my district.”
Sponsored by Sen. James Meeks, a Southside Chicago Democrat and pastor of the largest Baptist congregation in the city, SB 2494 would have provided vouchers of up to $4,000 to as many as 30,000 elementary school students in the bottom 10 percent of Chicago’s public schools. The students could have used the vouchers to transfer to a private or parochial school of their choice. The state Senate passed the bill last month.
State teachers unions strongly opposed the bill. Gov. Pat Quinn (D) had previously said he opposes school choice.
Ben Boychuk (bboychuk@dslextreme.com) is managing editor of School Reform News.
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