charter schools – Sandy Rosenberg

I didn’t give the speech I expected to make today.

Governor Hogan did not veto my bill mandating a $1 million appropriation for the lawyers that Attorney General Frosh will need to take legal action against the Trump Administration.

The governor let House Bill 913 become law without his signature.

If he had vetoed the bill, I would have said that our state government must respond to decisions made in Washington that are not in the best interests of Marylanders.

One way is through the courts. Another is the legislative process.

That’s why we enacted the bill allowing a woman to choose where she wants to receive her reproductive health care and be reimbursed by the State, if she would be eligible for that assistance had the Congress and President not defunded Planned Parenthood.

The Governor also let that bill become law without his signature.

Gov. Hogan vetoed one bill. It dealt with the actions the State can take to improve failing schools.

I’d like to think there’s a middle ground between our current system and an emphasis on charter and private schools that forgets about the need for systemic improvements in our public schools, where the vast majority of our children receive their education.

I will look for that middle ground this summer.

The number of co-sponsors you have on the charter school bill will mean nothing compared to the amount of money the Governor ultimately commits to public education in his budget.

I said that to advocates for his charter bill.

I could have told the same thing to supporters of the tax credit for donations to parochial and public schools.

The reason why: the Governor’s budget would have a negative effect on every school system in the state. It would reduce the number of teachers in classrooms.

The number one priority of the Democrats in Annapolis is to restore funding for public schools by making cuts elsewhere in the budget.

Then the Governor could increase education spending and keep the budget balanced.

If that happens, then other education issues can be considered.