"Give the green light to charter schools," says the Tacoma News-Tribune editorial page today to Washington House Speaker Frank Chopp (D-Seattle). I agree. Blocking a vote on HB 2295 would be cowardly. It's a very modest proposal: up to 45 charter schools over six years; school districts as the main sponsors. (It IS 2295, not 2195, as in the editorial).

I have a hard time with how hot-potato legislation that manages to win passage in its primary committee still gets deep-sixed without a floor vote, in Olympia. One oft-used line is that most of the majority party's caucus isn't behind a bill, so a floor vote shouldn't be called. (Who really knows until it happens? This is institutionalizing political cowardice). That lame argument was used this session to bottle up the charter school bill in the House. A complementary strategy is to stash the bill away in the Appropriations, and then Rules committees until the very end of the session. That also happened to HB 2295 this time around.

What's been so scary, Speaker Chopp? That the charter schools bill will pass? Or revealing that your "progresssive" Seattle Democratic House members don't want to give minority children an excellent option to faltering public schools, because - like you - they're nervous about going against the teachers union and all its campaign cash?

There's still time for Chopp and House Democrats to at least call a vote. The bill is on the floor calendar right now, and there's a 3 p.m. deadline for amendments. I'm told a vote is possible tomorrow, or Thursday, the last day of session.

Of course, Chopp knows that by waiting so long, there's barely any time left to reconcile the weaker House bill with a beefier Senate version (up to 70 charters, universities included as sponsors). If HB 2295 is called, and passes the House, Senate Republicans - who rightly favor the stronger version - may have to just sign off on the House Bill. That's acceptable. Sadly, the legislature is no place to stand on principle, and time's running out - yet again. Let's get going already on public charter schools in Washington State.

Posted by Matt Rosenberg at March 9, 2004 10:02 AM

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