Public schools; Board of Education shall only establish regional charter school divisions. (SB1283)

Introduced By

Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg) with support from co-patron Del. Steve Landes (R-Weyers Cave)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Public schools; regional charter school divisions. Authorizes the Board of Education (Board) to establish regional charter school divisions consisting of two or more existing school divisions in regions in which one or more of the underlying school divisions have an enrollment of more than 3,000 students and one or more schools that have accreditation denied status for two out of the past three years. The bill requires such regional charter school divisions to be supervised by a school board that consists of eight members appointed by the Board and one member appointed by the localities of each of the underlying divisions. The bill authorizes the school board, after a review by the Board, to review and approve public charter school applications in the regional charter school divisions and to contract with the applicant. The bill requires the state share of Standards of Quality per pupil funding of the underlying school district in which the public charter school is physically located transferred to such school. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
01/10/2017Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17102226D
01/10/2017Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/23/2017Impact statement from DPB (SB1283)
02/02/2017Committee substitute printed 17105114D-S1
02/02/2017Reported from Education and Health with substitute (8-Y 6-N) (see vote tally)
02/02/2017Rereferred to Finance
02/02/2017Reported from Finance (10-Y 5-N 1-A) (see vote tally)
02/03/2017Impact statement from DPB (SB1283S1)
02/03/2017Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N 1-A) (see vote tally)
02/06/2017Read second time
02/06/2017Reading of substitute waived
02/06/2017Committee substitute agreed to 17105114D-S1
02/06/2017Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute SB1283S1
02/07/2017Passed by temporarily
02/07/2017Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 19-N) (see vote tally)
02/09/2017Placed on Calendar
02/09/2017Read first time
02/09/2017Referred to Committee on Education
02/13/2017Reported from Education (14-Y 8-N) (see vote tally)
02/13/2017Referred to Committee on Appropriations
02/13/2017Assigned App. sub: Elementary & Secondary Education
02/14/2017Subcommittee recommends reporting (5-Y 2-N)
02/15/2017Reported from Appropriations (15-Y 7-N) (see vote tally)
02/17/2017Read second time
02/20/2017Read third time
02/20/2017Passed House (54-Y 43-N)
02/20/2017VOTE: PASSAGE (54-Y 43-N) (see vote tally)
02/24/2017Enrolled
02/24/2017Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1283ER)
02/24/2017Signed by President
02/24/2017Signed by Speaker
02/27/2017Impact statement from DPB (SB1283ER)
02/28/2017Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on 2/28/17
02/28/2017G Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, March 27, 2017
03/13/2017G Vetoed by Governor
04/05/2017Senate sustained Governor's veto (20-Y 20-N) (see vote tally)
04/05/2017Requires 27 affirmative votes to override veto
04/05/2017Reconsideration of Governor's veto agreed to (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
04/05/2017Senate sustained Governor's veto (21-Y 19-N) (see vote tally)

Video

This bill was discussed on the floor of the General Assembly. Below is all of the video that we have of that discussion, 2 clips in all, totaling 17 minutes.

Transcript

This is a transcript of the video clips in which this bill is discussed.



Sen. Tommy Norment (R-Williamsburg): AND I TAKE GREAT EXCEPTION TO SOME OF THE CHARACTERIZATIONS OF IT.

[Unknown]: THANK YOU, SENATOR. THE SENIOR SENATOR FROM FAIRFAX, SENATOR SASLAW.

Sen. Dick Saslaw (D-Springfield): MR. PRESIDENT, THERE'S OFTEN A REASON WHY PEOPLE SAY WHAT THEY SAY ON THE FLOOR, AND IT'S WHAT THEY FEEL IN THEIR HEART AND HOW THEY INTERPRET SOMETHING. IT'S KIND OF HARD TO LOOK AT THIS ORDEAL WITH THIS TOPIC, BUT THE WAY, WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT CARTER GLASS, BECAUSE HE PUT THIS THING STRAIGHT IN -- HE DID THIS TO KEEP THE BLACKS FROM VOTING, NO OTHER REASON. THAT WAS IT. AND HE STATED THAT WHEN IT PUT IT INTO EFFECT. THAT'S WHAT HE DID. MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT. THERE'S NO GETTING AROUND IT. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THIS TOPIC, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO TALK ABOUT WHAT ITS GENESIS WAS WITHOUT BRINGING UP THAT MAN'S NAME. ALL THAT ASIDE, 40 STATES, I BELIEVE, WHEN YOU CLEAR PAROLE OR PROBATION, NO WHEAR WHAT -- NO MATTER WHAT THE FELONY IS, THERE MAY BE IS DISTINCTION IN SOME STATES BETWEEN VIOLENT AND NONVIOLENT, I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT'S 40 STATES. YOUR RIGHTS ARE RESTORED. IN FACT, IN TWO OF THE STATES, AND I DON'T AGREE WITH THIS AT ALL, I THINK IT'S VERMONT AND MAINE, YOU CAN VOTE EVEN WHILE YOU'RE IN PRISON. , BRINGS UP THE ISSUE THAT I POINTED OUT SOMEBODY, WHAT'S IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE EXECUTED THE WEEK BEFORE AN ELECTION. CAN YOU SEND IN AN ABSENTEE BALLOT? I KIND OF DOUBT THAT. BUT ANYWAY, YOU KNOW, THE POINT IS 40 STATES DON'T REQUIRE WHAT WE REQUIRE. WHEN YOU GET OUT, YOU'RE OUT, AND YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE IS RESTORED. NOW, THE SENATOR FROM JAMES CITY COUNTY REMARKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, RESTITUTION TO THE VICTIM. WELL, SUPPOSE THE VICTIM IS DEAD, YOU KNOW, DIED. HE WAS IN PRISON 15, 20 YEARS, WHATEVER. THE VICTIM IS DECEASED AND MAYBE THEY DON'T HAVE HEIRS OR WHATEVER. THAT WASN'T SPECIFIED IN THE SENATE. WHO ARE THEY GOING TO MAKE THE RESTITUTION TO? SO YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT THAT PROBLEM. YOU KNOW, SIMPLY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE DO IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE IT RIGHT, AND YOU KNOW, WITH RESPECT TO PAYING THE FINES AND RESTITUTION, LET'S SUPPOSE ONE NIGHT I GET IN A CAR, GO OUT, GET A DUI BECAUSE IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THAT DUI I RAN INTO A CAR, INJURED SOMEBODY, AND AS A RESULT OF VARIOUS JUDGEMENTS, I OWE THEM MONEY. WELL, THAT'S BETWEEN ME AND THEM SIMPLY BECAUSE IT WASN'T A FELONY, THOUGH, I CAN VOTE. I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH MONEY I OWE. I DON'T CARE WHAT THE FINE WAS AND WHETHER I COULD PAY IT OR NOT, I CAN VOTE. I COULD BEs2ds FINED 5,000, 10,0 AND SOME ACTION BY THE COURT, BUT AS LONG AS IT'S NOT CALLED A FELONY OR WHATEVER, I CAN VOTE. I DON'T HAVE TO PAY RESTITUTION IN ORDER TO GET MY ABILITY TO VOTE AGAIN, AND QUITE FRANKLY, NEITHER SHOULD THESE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY GET OUT. YOU KNOW, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I THINK WHAT GOVERNOR MCAULIFFE DID WAS RIGHT. I MEAN, I WOULD HAVE NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT DOING THAT, AND I WAS SOMEWHAT SURPRISED WHEN HE DID IT. BUT IN RECEIPT -- RETROSPECT, I THINK HE DID THE RIGHT THING. 40 OTHER STATES ARE DOING IT. SOMEHOW OR THE OTHER, WE ALWAYS TAKE PRIDE IN BEING THE LAST TO WE'RE THE ONLY STATE WHERE THE DO ANYTHING. GOVERNOR CAN'T SUCCEED HIMSELF. WE WERE 46th IN ALLOWING FOR ELECTED SCHOOL BOARDS. I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM THE WASHINGTON POST, SAYING THAT THERE WERE 41 STATES THAT HAD CASINO GAMBLING. WHEN WOULD VIRGINIA GET IT? I TOLD THAT POSTREPORTER, THE ONLY QUESTION IS, WHO IS GOING TO BE 50th, US OR UTAH. YOU KNOW, AND HOW MANY TIMES BEING LAST IS NOT -- IT'S NOT ANYTHING TO BE PROUD OF. MARK WARNER, AS YOU MAY HAVE REMEMBERED, THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE HERE IN 2004, RAISED THE SALES TAX FROM 4 AND A HALF TO 5%. WE WERE 47th IN WHAT WE GAVE -- WE WERE 48th IN WHAT WE AS A STATE GAVE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WERE PROUD OF THAT. I USED TO GO TO BED AT NIGHT AND SAY THANK GOD FOR ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI. OTHERWISE WE WOULD HAVE BEEN YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO GET AWAY DEAD LAST. FROM THIS, AND WE MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER JOINING 80% OF THE REST OF THE STATES IN SIMPLY SAYING -- YOU KNOW, I CAN UNDERSTAND IF YOU WANT TO MAKE VIOLENT FELONS GO THROUGH AN EXTRA HOOP. I COULDN'T CARE. THAT'S FINE. I CAN LIVE WITH THAT. BUT IT SEEMS TO ME IF IT'S NONVIOLENT, AND LOOK HOW MANY, BY THE WAY, ARE IN FOR DRUG POSSESSION OR SELLING MARIJUANA OR WHATEVER, AND THEY GOT A 2 OR 3,000-DOLLAR FINE OR A 5,000-DOLLAR FINE. YOU CAN BET IT'S GOING TO BE YEARS AFTER THEY GET OUT BEFORE THEY EVER ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO VOTE. THIS IS SILLY. SO I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU ALL WOULD TAKE A REAL GOOD LOOK, AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT MAY BE A POLL TAX OR NOT. THE NET EFFECT IS THE SAME, YOU KNOW, AND WE KNOW WHY -- BY THE WAY, WE KNOW WHY THAT POLL TAX WAS PUT INTO EFFECT AND SO DID THE U.S. SUPREME COURT. SO ANYWAY, I WOULD HOPE THAT IT WOULD -- THAT THIS WOULD NOT GO ANY FURTHER THAN IT'S ALREADY GUN.

[Unknown]: THANK YOU, SENATOR. THE SENATOR FROM ROANOKE COUNTY, SENATOR SUETTERLEIN.

Sen. David Suetterlein (R-Salem): THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I WAS ALSO HOPING THIS DEBATE WOULD NOT GO ON ANY FURTHER AND WAS HOPING THE SENATOR FROM JAMES CITY COUNTY WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO CLOSE THERE, BUT BECAUSE THE SENIOR SENATOR FROM FAIRFAX DID RISE TO SPEAK, I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS THE SHAMEFUL COMMENTS FROM THE SENATOR FROM WESTERN FAIRFAX AN, EXPECT SOME STUDENTS THAT DON'T ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND OUR CONSTITUTION TO MAYBE CLAIM, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS LITIGATED IN THE PRESS FOR THE LAST YEAR. POLITIFACT, WHICH IS NOT A DOCUMENT THAT I GO TO ALL THE TIME, BUT IT CAME OUT, THE THEN SECRETARY OF COMMONWEALTH, NOW MAYOR OF THIS CITY OF RICHMOND, KEPT INVOKING THAT THIS WAS A JIM CROW ERA LAW, THIS WAS A JIM CROW ERA PROVISION IN THE OUR CONSTITUTION THAT WE'RE CONSTITUTION. CURRENTLY UNDER THAT CAME AFTER THE JIM CROW ERA, BUT STILL HE MIGHT CLAIM THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT CONTINUED ON JUST FROM 1902, BUT AS POLITIFACT FOUND, THIS WAS ALSO IN THE 1864 CONSTITUTION, THE 1850 CONSTITUTION AND THE 1830 CONSTITUTION. AND NOW I DON'T ENDORSE EVERYTHING THAT WAS IN THOSE CONSTITUTIONS, BUT WE KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN 1830, AND THEY WERE NOT ALLOWING AFRICAN AMERICANS TO VOTE, PERIOD, REGARDLESS OF THEIR FELONY STATUS. THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMONWEALTH ADOPTED IN 1830 TO PREVENT FOLKS THAT HAD COMMITTED A FELONY OF ANY SORT FROM VOTING. IT WAS A LAW AND ORDER PROVISION. THAT IS WHAT IT WAS. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER SHAMEFUL THINGS DONE BY THE COMMONWEALTH, BUT IT'S SHAMEFUL TO INJECT THAT INTO THE COMMENTS TODAY. AND WITH THAT, I HOPE THAT WE'LL PASS THIS. WHEN THIS BILL CAME UP IN 2013, I RECOMMENDED A YES VOTE. THANK YOU.

[Unknown]: THANK YOU, SENATOR. THE QUESTION IS, SHALL SJR 223 BE AGREED TO. I'M SORRY. THE SENIOR SENATOR FROM --.

Sen. David Suetterlein (R-Salem): MR. PRESIDENT, I JUST WANTED TO THANK THE SENATOR FROM ROANOKE COUNTY FOR MAKING EVEN A STRONGER CASE ON WHY THIS SHOULD BE DEFEATED.

Del. Bill Howell (R-Fredericksburg): THANK YOU, SENATOR. THE QUESTION IS SHALL SJR 223 BE AGREED TO? ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION WILL RECORD THEIR VOTES AYE; THOSE OPPOSED, NO. ARE THE SENATORS READY TO VOTE? HAVE ALL THE SENATORS VOTED? DO ANY SENATORS DESIRE TO CHANGE THEIR VOTE? THE CLERK WILL CLOSE THE ROLL.

[Unknown]: AYES 21, NOS 19. AYES 21, NOS 19. THE RESOLUTION IS AGREED TO. SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 231, PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO SECTION 6 OF ARTICLE 2 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF VIRGINIA, RELATING TO APPORTIONMENT, VIRGINIA REDISTRICTING COMMISSION, CRITERIA FOR LEGISLATIVE AND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS. THE SENATOR FROM AUGUSTA, SENATOR HANGER. THE SENATOR FROM AUGUSTA, SENATOR HANGER. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I MOVE THE RESOLUTION PASS AND WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT. SENATOR HAS THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE SENATE. SJR 231 IS A CONSOLIDATION OF SEVERAL RESOLUTIONS THAT WERE WORKED ON IN THE PRIVILEGES AND ELECTIONS COMMITTEE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE SENATOR FROM SOUTHERN CHESAPEAKE FOR HIS WORK IN PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, ALSO THE SENATOR FROM BATH, THE SENIOR SENATOR FROM RICHMOND, THE SENATOR FROM SOUTHERN FAIRFAX, AND I BELIEVE THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ANOTHER SENATOR FROM ACCOMACK WHO ALSO HAD THEIR BILLS ROLLED INTO THIS. MR. PRESIDENT, AND MEMBERS OF THE SENATE, WHAT THIS RESOLUTION DOES IS CREATE A COMMISSION TO BASICALLY PRESENT A PLAN OR PREPARE A PLAN FOR REDISTRICTING. IT ALSO INCLUDES SOME OF THE OTHER PROVISIONS THAT WOULD HAVE -- I THINK SOME OF THE GROUNDWORK WAS BEING LAID IN A RESOLUTION THAT WE PREVIOUSLY PASSED BY THE SENATOR FROM FAUQUIER AND THE SENATOR FROM FAIRFAX, SENATOR HOWELL, THAT HAVE ADDRESSED SOME OF THE REFORMS THAT WE WANT TO SEE AND HOW REPREPARE THESE REDISTRICTING PLANS. MR. PRESIDENT, I WON'T LABOR THIS THIS LONG, BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THOSE ISSUES THAT IS POLITICALLY CHARGED AND HAS OVER THE YEARS BEEN SOMETHING THAT NEITHER BODY WANTED TO FACE HEAD BUT I WOULD SUGGEST, ON. MR. PRESIDENT, IT IS AN ISSUE THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS WANT US TO ADDRESS HEAD ON RATHER THAN THE CURRENT SYSTEM WHICH BASICALLY ALLOWS US, SOMETIMES ENCOURAGES US TO PROTECT OUR DISTRICTS AS IF THEY WERE OUR OWN. MR. PRESIDENT, THIS ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS COMMISSION WILL BASICALLY SAY TO THE PEOPLE OF THE COMMONWEALTH THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT IT IS NOT OUR DISTRICT, IT IS OUR HONOR FOR A TIME TO REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITIES, AND WHEN WE TEAR OUR COMMUNITIES APART SO THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE FAVORABLE TREATMENT ON ELECTION DAY, THAT IS NOT REPRESENTING APPROPRIATELY THE INTERESTS OF OUR COMMUNITY. MR. PRESIDENT, IN SHORT WHAT THIS DOES, IT DOESN'T STACK THE COMMISSION WITH UNINTERESTED PEOPLE. BASICALLY IT ALLOWS THAT THERE WOULD BE A SEVEN MEMBER COMMISSION, THAT TWO MEMBERS OF THE SENATE AND TWO MEMBERS OF THE -- THAT BEING THE SENATE PRO-TEM AND THE MAJORITY LEADER AND ALSO THE -- THEY WOULD SELECT OR DESIGNATE TWO PEOPLE OR THEMSELVES. THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES WOULD ALSO HAVE THAT SAME OPPORTUNITY WITH THE SPEAKER AND THE MINORITY LEADER OVER THERE TO EITHER THEMSELVES OR THEIR DESIGNEES, AND THEN THREE MEMBERS THAT ARE LISTED THAT WOULD BE INDEPENDENT MEMBERS THAT ARE LISTED IN THE RESOLUTION ITSELF. MR. PRESIDENT, I HOPE IT WOULD BE THE PLEASURE OF THE SENATE TO ADOPT THIS RESOLUTION.

Del. Bill Howell (R-Fredericksburg): THANK YOU, SENATOR. THE QUESTION IS, SHALL SJR 231 BE AGREED TO? ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION WILL RECORD THEIR VOTES AYE; THOSE OPPOSED, NO. ARE THE SENATORS READY TO VOTE? HAVE ALL THE SENATORS VOTED? DO ANY SENATORS DESIRE TO CHANGE THEIR VOTE? THE CLERK WILL CLOSE THE ROLL.

[Unknown]: AYES 33, NOS 7. AYES 33, NOS 7. THE RESOLUTION IS AGREED TO. SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 300, CONFIRMING VARIOUS APPOINTMENTS BY THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON RULES. THE SENATOR FROM BEDFORD, SENATOR NEWMAN.

Sen. Steve Newman (R-Forest): MR. PRESIDENT, I MOVE THE RESOLUTION BE AGREED TO, AND SPEAKING TO THAT MOTION.

[Unknown]: SENATOR HAS THE FLOOR.

Sen. Steve Newman (R-Forest): MR. PRESIDENT, THIS IS A FAIRLY STRAIGHT FORWARD RESOLUTION TO PUT INTO PLACE, MEMBERS OF THE TOBACCO COMMISSION. THE REASON WHY IT'S ON THE CONTESTED CALENDAR IS THE SENATOR FROM GRAYSON, RUSSELL, MECKLENBURG, FRANKLIN AND HANOVER WANTED TO ABSTAIN. THE QUESTION IS, SHALL SJR 300

Del. Bill Howell (R-Fredericksburg): THANK YOU, SIR. BE AGREED TO. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION WILL RECORD THEIR VOTES AYE; THOSE OPPOSED, NO. ARE THE SENATORS READY TO VOTE? HAVE ALL THE SENATORS VOTED? DO ANY SENATORS DESIRE TO CHANGE THEIR VOTE? THE CLERK WILL CLOSE THE ROLL.

[Unknown]: AYES 35, NOS 0, RULE 36-5. THE RESOLUTION IS AGREED TO. UNCONTESTED CALENDAR, SENATE RESOLUTION ON THIRD READING. SENATE RESOLUTION 105, CONFIRMING A NOMINATION TO THE SENATE ETHICS ADVISORY PANEL. THE SENATOR FROM HANOVER, SENATOR MCDOUGLE.

Sen. Ryan McDougle (R-Mechanicsville): THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I MOVE THE RESOLUTION PASS, AND NOW I'D LIKE TO PRESENT MY HALF HOUR SEW SOLILOQUY. MR. PRESIDENT, THIS IS APPOINTING FORMER SENATOR QUAIL TO THE SENATE ETHICS ADVISORY COMMISSION.

Del. Bill Howell (R-Fredericksburg): THANK YOU, SENATOR. THE QUESTION IS, SHALL S.R. 105 PASS? ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION WILL RECORD THEIR VOTES AYE; THOSE OPPOSED, NO.? ARE THE SENATORS READY TO VOTE? HAVE ALL THE SENATORS VOTED? DO ANY SENATORS DESIRE TO CHANGE THEIR VOTE? THE CLERK WILL CLOSE THE ROLL.

Sen. Ryan McDougle (R-Mechanicsville): AYES 40, NOS 0.

[Unknown]: THE RESOLUTION IS AGREED TO. WE HAVE TWO BILLS. SENATOR, ARE YOU PREPARED? ALL RIGHT. WE'LL RETURN TO PAGE 12 OF THE CALENDAR. SENATE BILL 1283, THE SENATOR FROM ROCKINGHAM, SENATOR OBENSHAIN.

Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg): MR. PRESIDENT, I MOVE THAT THE BILL PASS. SPEAKING TO THE BILL.

[Unknown]: THE SENATOR HAS THE FLOOR.

Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg): MR. PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE SENATE, I TOLD THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND HEALTH THAT CONTRARY TO CONVENTIONAL BELIEF AROUND HERE, I ACTUALLY DO LISTEN TO MY COLLEAGUES, AND I HAVE FOR YEARS ENGAGED IN WHAT SOME HAVE CHARACTERIZED AS A TESTAMENT TO MY INSANITY. I HAVE BEEN CAMPAIGNING FOR AND ENGAGING IN AN EFFORT TO SECURE AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION TO GIVE A LEG UP AND JUMP-START TO CHARTER SCHOOLS IN THE COMMONWEALTH. I'VE HEARD A NUMBER OF EXPRESSIONS OF OPPOSITION TO THAT, AND I'VE LISTENED. I THINK THAT WHAT YOU FIND BEFORE YOU IS A MEASURED AND VERY LIMITED RESPONSE. MANY OF THOSE WHO HAVE TOLD ME IN RECENT YEARS THAT THEY WERE OPPOSING THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT EXPRESSED GREAT SUPPORT FOR THE CONCEPT OF CHARTER SCHOOLS. I BELIEVED THAT THEY HAVE GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO DROP A LIFELINE TO KIDS IN FAILING SCHOOL DESCRITIONS AROUND THE COMMONWEALTH. TAPPING LOCAL RESOURCES THAT OUR GOVERNMENT IS SPENDING TO EDUCATE KIDS IN OUR EXISTING SCHOOLS. AND NO. 2, THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALSO WE AVOID PULLING KIDS OUT OF SMALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS SYSTEMS. AND NO. 3, THEY WANT TO MAKE