Republican lawmakers in Kentucky approve putting a school choice measure on the November ballot

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Republican lawmakers on Friday put the political fight over whether taxpayer money should be able to flow to private or charter schools in the hands of voters to decide.

The proposed school choice constitutional amendment won final passage in the Senate by a vote of 27-8, capping a rapid series of votes this week to put the issue on the statewide ballot in November. If it is ratified, lawmakers could then decide whether to support private or charter school education with public funds.

Lawmakers on both sides of the issue agreed on one thing during the debates: The stakes are sky-high.

“This is very, very important for the state of Kentucky,” Republican Sen. Stephen West said in supporting the measure. “This is a game changer. This will dictate where we are 25 years from now.”

On Wednesday, Democratic Rep. George Brown Jr., who opposed the bill, called it a “turning point” in the “education of our children and the future of this commonwealth.” Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear vowed the following day to “work every day” to defeat the amendment.

The push for the constitutional amendment follows court rulings that said tax dollars must be spent on the state’s “common” schools — a reference to public schools — and cannot be diverted to charter or private institutions.

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