PA: MID-YEAR CUTS AND A BUDGET SHORTFALL ON TAP FOR 2012

[from Third and State] by Sharon Wardon December 20, 2011 
Governor Tom Corbett will announce a new budgetary freeze before the end of the year to help resolve what the administration expects to be a $500 million revenue shortfall, according to Budget Secretary Charles Zogby, who gave the annual mid-year budget briefing on Tuesday. 

Secretary Zogby painted a grim picture, as expected. The current revenue shortfall of $345 million could grow even beyond the $500 million current estimate, according to Zogby, and growth in mandatory spending for pensions, debt service and the Department of Public Welfare (DPW) will contribute to a budget for 2012-13 that is short about $750 million.

The Commonwealth plans to resolve the revenue gap with additional cuts. The secretary did not anticipate having "any revenue options" on the table and said he would look for further cuts in "waste, fraud and abuse" in DPW, controlling growth in corrections spending, and scaling back capital spending to make up the difference.

Read more here.

PA Senate releases new re-districting draft map

ACCT Legislative update, new workforce funding developments

[from ACCT] December 8, 2011 - Today, the Republicans on the House Education and Workforce Committee introduced two workforce training reform bills.  Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) introduced the first bill, H.R. 3610, the Streamlining Workforce Development Programs Act, which consolidates 33 workforce training programs into 4 funding streams.  The second bill, H.R. 3611, the Local Job Opportunities and Business Success (JOBS) Act, introduced by Congressman Joe Heck (R-NV), addresses workforce investment boards.  The bill removes many federal directives regarding board makeup and requires that at least two-thirds of each board is comprised of business representatives.  It also strikes provisions that require board representation from community colleges and other educational entities.

The House and Senate are currently conferencing the nine remaining FY 2012 appropriations bills into a larger omnibus.  With many hurdles facing remaining for the Labor-HHS-Education bill, a year-long continuing resolution for that bill remains probable.  With a $1.3 billion shortfall in the Pell Grant program, indications are that negotiators will seek to make Pell eligibility changes within a continuing resolution to address the shortfall.  Thus far, FY 2012 continuing resolutions have addressed the shortfall through an across-the-board cut of all Labor-HHS-Education programs.  Negotiators appear less likely to accept an across-the-board-cut scenario to protect Pell in a year-long continuing resolution. 

Today, the White House hosted the first board meeting of the Startup America Partnership, where board members announced $1 billion in private sector investment to assist startups over the next three years.  This meeting came as part of a larger announcement focused on job creation and entrepreneurship. The White House announced its continued commitment to entrepreneurial education and transformation through the new National Education Startup Challenge and the Presidents for Entrepreneurship Forum.  The National Education Startup Challenge, invites middle school, high school, and college students to develop an innovative solution to an education problem and prepare a business plan for a new company or non-profit organization to deliver that solution.  The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) is launching the Presidents for Entrepreneurship Forum, through which community college presidents make specific commitments to advance entrepreneurship and the impact these colleges have on the economic well-being of their communities. Over 100 community college presidents have signed on at launch.

Job Creation Act of 2011

[edited from content on CLASP] The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011 (introduced Dec. 12, 2011) reduces the period of time jobless workers can receive federal unemployment benefits by as many as 40 weeks in 2012. Current law provides federal benefits for up to 99 weeks, depending on the pervasiveness of unemployment in the state. This bill would reduce this to a maximum of 59 weeks in hardest hit states.  Unemployment has been above 8 percent since April 2009, and the percent (43 percent in November 2011) of unemployed workers who have been without a job for six months or more has remained at record levels for 31 months.

The bill also includes provisions that would reduce access to those who receive unemployment insurance. It denies unemployment insurance benefits to those without a high school diploma or GED if they can't demonstrate they are enrolled in a program leading to a credential. Workers with less than a high school diploma are unemployed at significantly higher rates than workers with a bachelor's degree (13.2 percent v. 4.4 percent).

House Committee Examines Tuition Costs

November 30, 2011 - Today, the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training held a hearing entitled "Keeping College within Reach: Discussing Ways Institutions Can Streamline Costs and Reduce Tuition." Experts and Members of Congress discussed the reasons why college costs have been increasing, and offered ideas on what could be done to help curb the rising cost of tuition while effectively delivering a quality education. Included in the discussion was the importance of cost effective remediation for students, and ensuring course equivalency among community colleges and four-year institutions. To read witness testimony, please follow this link:http://edworkforce.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=270118

Erie split in half

[from Third & State] Erie. Nobody wants the poor Lake City. Reps. Mike Kelly and GT Thompson are lobbying their friends in Harrisburg to avoid having the small bastion of Democratic voters included in their districts. No matter what the outcome, Erie County will likely be split in two, meaning odds are against a home town congressman for the next decade.

State-by-State Impact Analysis of House-Proposed FY 2012 Cuts to WIA

From the National Skills Coalition In October, Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee released a draft Labor-Health and Human Services-Education bill proposing more than $2.2 billion in cuts to federal workforce programs under the Department of Labor, including more than $1.9 billion in cuts to Workforce Investment Act (WIA) programs. In response, National Skills Coalition has developed a state-by-state impact analysis of proposed cuts to the WIA Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth programs in FY 2012, finding that as many as 6.5 million U.S. jobseekers would lose access to critical employment and training services if the House funding levels are enacted. Download this resource today and educate policymakers about the impact that drastic cuts to WIA and other workforce programs would have on their communities.

Washington Update: Super Committee Fails, Complicates FY 2012 Appropriations Process

From the National Skills Coalition Read this month’s Washington Update for the latest on how the Super Committee’s failure and the automatic spending triggers may impact workforce funding moving forward, including year-end legislative efforts to finalize the FY 2012 appropriations process. Also read about the new Pathways Back to Work Act introduced by Rep. George Miller (D-CA) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) that would provide new investments in employment and job training activities for unemployed and low-income adults and youth, the extension of the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, new grant opportunities, and more.

Workforce Federal Policy Update

Register for NSC’s Annual End of Session Federal Policy Audio Update
The workforce field has weathered significant challenges throughout 2011—from the devastating cuts to job training and education proposed by the House in FY 2011, to the creation and ultimate collapse of the Super Committee, to the devastating cuts to job training and education proposed (again) by the House in FY 2012. Join NSC’s federal policy team on Thursday, December 15 at 1:00 pm EST as they recap the trials and triumphs for workforce advocates in one of the most difficult political environments in recent memory, and learn what lies ahead for workforce development policy in 2012. Register.

Casey files on behalf of rural PA small businesses

Wednesday, November 16, 2011   WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) filed an amendment with Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) to a must-pass bill that would restore Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) status to 16 rural Pennsylvania counties. The special designation helps small businesses in rural Pennsylvania gain access to federal contract opportunities which helps grow their businesses and create jobs in the region.

Citing a reduced unemployment rate, the Small Business Administration (SBA) excluded the following Pennsylvania counties from the HUBZone program: Armstrong, Bedford, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, McKean, Mifflin, Monroe, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga and Wayne. Casey has filed his amendment to restore the status of these counties to the Senate’s Financial Services Appropriations Bill- a must pass piece of legislation that funds the government. 

The HUBZone program, which is administered by the SBA, helps small businesses in urban and rural communities gain preferential access to federal procurement opportunities. These preferences go to small businesses that obtain HUBZone certification in part by employing staff who live in a HUBZone. The company must also maintain a "principal office" in one of these specially designated areas. For the past several years, 16 Pennsylvania counties were included in the program, allowing local businesses to boost their bottom lines by taking advantage of federal contracting opportunities. But an SBA decision has removed these counties from the program, meaning that local small businesses no longer have access to these unique contracting opportunities.

Despite the 2010 census showing a small reduction in Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate, small businesses in Pennsylvania’s rural counties are still struggling to deal with the nation’s tough economy. By losing this special designation, businesses in these counties could see a reduction to their bottom lines, hurting the region’s overall economy.

Eric Bridges, Executive Director of the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission, spoke directly to the importance of this program, saying: “The HUB Zone Certification provides regional companies with an advantage in contracting with Federal government activities and prime contractors that are required by law to set-aside 3% of their contract dollars for HUB Zone Certified Businesses. The loss of the HUB Zone Certification to regional companies is a major blow to their marketing strategies and their ability to be more competitive in the Federal contracting arena.”

Senator Casey introduces new self-employment legislation

[from the National Association of State Workforce Agencies]

November 15, 2011

 Click here for full document. 

Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tom Carper (D- DE) and Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the Startup Technical Assistance for Reemployment Training and Unemployment Prevention (STARTUP) Act to promote self-employment assistance.

Congress passes several department budgets & another CR

Federal Times | By SEAN REILLY | Last Updated:November 17, 2011

Congress has given final approval to a deal setting 2012 budgets for five Cabinet-level departments, as well as NASA and a number of smaller agencies. The measure also would extend short-term funding for other agencies until Dec. 16 at close to last year's levels. The bill passed the House 298-121 on Thursday, followed by the Senate on a 70-30 vote. An existing continuing resolution (CR) expires at midnight Friday, meaning President Obama must sign the new measure before then to avert a partial government shutdown. [update: Pres. Obama signed the budget on Friday.]

Besides NASA, the $128 billion bill covers the Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development departments.

The 2012 legislation marks the first time that Congress has approved an annual appropriations bill — as opposed to a CR — since late 2009. In the debate preceding Thursday's House vote, top lawmakers voiced hope that Congress could approve all remaining 2012 spending legislation by next month. The 2012 fiscal year began in October.

For many programs, the new bill would cut spending from last year's levels, according to the House Appropriations Committee. The bill also ends funding for some 20 programs, with a total savings of $456 million, the committee's chairman, Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., said Thursday. [See a partial list of eliminated programs and more info here.]

Veteran Workforce Legislation, Resources

On November 10th, the Senate voted 95-0 to pass H.R. 674, after adding provisions intended to help unemployed veterans, including tax credits to companies that hire unemployed veterans and the creation of a retraining assistance program through which veterans would be entitled to up to 12 months of training assistance.


The U.S. Department of Labor has also launched the Veterans Gold Card, the "My Next Move for Veterans" website and the National Resource Directory's Veterans Job Bank. Additional information about these initiatives is available at http://www.dol.gov/vets/.

Pathways Back to Work Act

[from CLASP--NOV 14] By Neil Ridley

Sen. Richard Blumenthal today introduced the $5 billion Pathways Back to Work Act (S. 1861), which is modeled on provisions in President Obama's American Jobs Act. Rep. George Miller has introduced a similar measure in the House (H.R. 3425).A bill introduced today would address the ongoing jobs crisis by creating work and educational opportunities for unemployed workers, those who can't qualify for unemployment benefits and other disadvantaged individuals.

This is the third scaled-down jobs bill based on provisions in the Americans Jobs Act to be introduced in the past month. Two other measures failed to get enough votes to move past debate.

Of the total $5 billion under the Pathways Back to Work Fund, $2 billion would be available for subsidized employment programs that are patterned on the successful Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Emergency Fundthat created 260,000 jobs in 2009 and 2010. Governors would have the option of administering the program through TANF agencies or local workforce boards under the Workforce Investment Act or a combination of the two.

The Fund includes $1.5 billion in funding for summer and year-round employment opportunities for disadvantaged youth. A similar round of funding provided in 2009 led to paid work experience and training for nearly 360,000 young people. The bill would encourage local workforce boards to create employment opportunities in emerging or in-demand occupations and to provide year-round youth participants with education and training leading to industry-recognized credentials.

The Fund also establishes a $1.5 billion competitive grant program for a range of promising and research-based work and learning opportunities that help low-skilled adults and youth obtain education and training leading to jobs and credentials. Local grantees would apply for and receive funding to carry out:

• On-the-job training and registered apprenticeships;
• Sector-based training programs that meet the needs of groups of employers;
• Strategies that lead to industry-recognized credentials in growing fields;
• Direct work experience along with supportive services; or
• Adult basic education services or integrated education and training models that allow students to acquire basic skills and postsecondary credentials.

Learn about the broader American Jobs Act, which includes the Pathways Back to Work Fund >>

House-Senate spending package--Wins for science funds, nutrition programs

[adapted from a news article from Politico] By DAVID ROGERS | 11/14/11 8:07 PM EST

A spending package of more than $182 billion took final shape late Monday after an intense week of House-Senate negotiations that posed a first test of how the two political parties will implement appropriations caps agreed to in the August debt accord.

Republicans gave back more than $1 billion that the House had previously cut from food programs at home and overseas, even as the GOP betrayed its own appetite for increased science and infrastructure funding.

Among major accounts, $6.62 billion is provided for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, about $570 million more than the House approved in June. The National Science Foundation is promised an estimated $7 billion - $173 million above 2011. And while highway spending will drop from 2011 levels, the $39.1 billion cap compares with the much-tighter $27 billion ceiling first recommended by the House Appropriations Committee.

Attached to the measure is a stopgap spending resolution that will keep the rest of the government operating through Dec. 16, and the goal is complete passage by Friday, when the current continuing resolution expires. Filling over 400 pages, the conference report covers five Cabinet departments together with major science agencies and by filing Monday night, the leadership hopes to take the bill to the House floor Thursday.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) welcomed the agreement as a “bipartisan compromise that will prevent a potential government shutdown, support important programs and services that the American people rely on, and make hard but necessary cuts to help rein in the nation’s deficit. …We’ve cut total discretionary spending for the second year in a row – a remarkable achievement.”

Indeed, in keeping with the August debt-limit agreement, the bill continues the downward pressure on discretionary spending — and on balance, appears about $3 billion under the amount comparable accounts were at last year. But a big part of that savings is eaten up by $2.3 billion in increased disaster aid following on the severe storms of this past year.

Science investments were a big winner, even to the point where the agreement went beyond the amounts either the House or Senate had previously recommended.

For example, funding for science and research within the National Institute of Standards and Technology is set at $567 million, a 12 percent increase over 2011 and more than either chamber had proposed previously. The NSF total is a second such case that exceeds both the House and Senate bills.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/68362.html#ixzz1dtDrMB00

Congress meets to address Nov. 18 deadline

[reposted from ASBMB Policy blog] On Thursday [Nov. 3], members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate met to begin working out their differences on a FY12 spending measure for three groups of federal agencies.

The 18 senators and 20 House members are tasked with agreeing upon spending levels in a bill that will fund federal agriculture, criminal justice, transportation and housing agencies, as well as science-related agencies, such as the National Science Foundation and NASA.

U.S. House Appropriations Chairman Hall Rogers, R-Ky., said the joint conference “represents the will of the Congress to return to regular order and an open, transparent and inclusive funding process.” (Read the full statement here.) He acknowledged that the Thursday meeting was largely introductory in nature but said that subcommittee chairmen will soon begin negotiating the individual provisions of the bill.

The conference is slated to end next week, and both chambers are to hold final votes on the measure by Nov. 17, only a day before the continuing resolution that is keeping the government running expires.

Another short-term continuing resolution is expected to be attached to minibus bill to keep the government running through mid-December while Congress continues negotiations.

Another jobs bill fails to pass

Nov. 3, By Rosalind S. Helderman The Washington Post [reposted from a PA Partners link]

The Senate shot down another piece of President Obama’s $447 billion jobs bill Thursday, as a stalemated Congress goes through the motions of attempting legislation to spur economic growth largely as a mechanism to allow each party to blame the other for the failure to act.

The chamber failed to advance a measure to spend $50 billion on highway, rail, transit and airport improvements and another $10 billion as seed money for an infrastructure bank designed to spark private investment in construction. The vote was 51 to 49 in favor, but the measure needed 60 votes to proceed to a full debate. Full story here.

2012 Labor-HHS Appropriations update

9/21/2011 - Audio of Full Committee Markup of FY12 T-HUD, State/Foreign Operations, & Labor-HHS Appropriations Bills

9/20/2011 - Subcommittee Markup of FY12 Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill (AUDIO)

The House Republican proposal would reduce funding from $3.9 billion to $1.7 billion because of a change in the funding structure. While appropriators have said that the shift in funding from a program year to a fiscal year would only change the way in which the funding occurs, a careful analysis of the funding levels underscores the impact of this size reduction. By January 1, 2013, the WIA system would be without any funding, and by as early as July 1, 2012, available funding for the program would be reduced by as much nearly 60 percent. By December 31, 2012, all funding would run out, and the WIA system would be forced to shut down.

These cuts are proposed at a time when more than 14 million Americans remain unemployed and when more than 9 million individuals were served by the WIA system just last year — a 248 percent increase in demand for services over the previous year. These cuts are also coming at a time when more than 50 percent of those who participate in WIA programs are placed in employment, as compared with 20 percent for those who receive no assistance. In addition, hundreds of thousands more are being placed in job training programs so that they can develop skills and become more employable.

Programs that serve disadvantaged adults, disadvantaged youth, high school dropouts, migrant and seasonal farmworkers and Native Americans would also face serious cuts and elimination. One Stop Workforce Development Centers — the cornerstone of the program — would begin shutting down around July 1, 2012, with most, if not all, closing by December 31, 2012.

Four small biz bills pass in the House

[from Chicago Now] WASHINGTON, DC –Four bills passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week. Collectively, these bills are intended to give small businesses easier access to capital for creating and maintaining jobs.

H.R. 2167, the Private Company Flexibility and Growth Act, introduced by Rep. David Schweikert - H.R. 2167 removes an impediment to capital formation for small companies by raising the shareholder threshold for mandatory registration with the SEC from 500 to 2,000 shareholders. At a recent hearing, the Committee received testimony from witnesses regarding the impact the bill will have on the availability of credit for small companies, job creation, and economic growth.

H.R. 2940, the Access to Capital for Job Creators Act, introduced by Rep. Kevin McCarthy- H.R. 2940 removes the regulatory ban that prevents small, privately held companies from using advertisements to solicit sophisticated investors for private offerings. Securities laws not only prohibit general solicitation and advertising, but also require investors to have an existing relationship with the company to meet SEC exemption requirements.

H.R. 2930, the Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act, introduced by Rep. Patrick McHenry - H.R. 2930 permits “crowd-funding” to finance new businesses by allowing companies to accept and pool donations up to $5 million without registering with the SEC. Crowd-funding is an innovative and lower-risk financing mechanism that enables several individuals to pool investment money with a particular company. Current SEC regulations prohibiting general solicitation have prevented crowd-funding from developing and flourishing in the United States.

H.R. 1965, introduced by Rep. Jim Himes - H.R. 1965 modifies regulations concerning registration and de-registration of small bank holding companies under securities laws.

GOP Scores Redistricting Win

By Keegan Gibson, Managing Editor of PoliticsPA - Full Article Here

Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) compares the GOP map with his own draft.

Republicans scored a big victory today as the Chairman of the panel charged with drawing new legislative districts voted to advance preliminary maps drawn by the Republican caucuses.

The maps would make a Democratic comeback in the Pa. House, not to mention the Pa. Senate, more difficult.

Stephen McEwen, a retired Judge of the Pa. Superior Court, voted with Majority Leaders Dominic Pileggi of the Senate and Mike Turzai of the House over the objection of the panel’s two Democrats.

Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa and House Minority Leader Frank Dermody said the maps represented a sharp departure from terms previously negotiated by both parties and amounted to a partisan power grab.

You can view all the preliminary maps here. Capitol Ideas has a district-by-district list of municipalities.

McEwen, who was elected to office as a Republican, seemed sympathetic to Pileggi and Turzai, who said that they were not seeking partisan gain, but fairly reflecting changes in demographics. Namely, that Democratic areas in western PA had shrunk as Republican areas in eastern PA grew. These preliminary maps are a starting point rather than the final product. The new boundaries are subject to a 30 day period of public review, at which point the panel will have 30 additional days to make corresponding changes. Sources close to the LRC predict the final maps will be completed before lawmakers leave for winter recess in mid-December.

(edited from original article) Of local impact, Republican Rep. John Evans’ Erie-based 5th district will move to central Berks County. He is retiring after this term.

Computer Science Education Bill could reach Senate

Tuesday, November 1, 2011 by Mike Wereschagin of Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

The U.S. Senate soon could take up a bill to push states and schools to make computer science courses part of their core curricula.

The bill that Sen. Bob Casey Jr. introduced would offer competitive grants to states and schools to beef up their high school computer science offerings. More than 140,000 computer science jobs become available each year, but fewer than 40,000 people graduate each year with bachelor's degrees in the subject, according to the Joint Economic Committee, a House-Senate committee.

"We're not getting enough young people involved in this course of study," Casey said during a rollout of the Computer Science Education Act at the Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, a public magnet school in Oakland. The Senate likely will debate the bill in coming weeks as lawmakers take up a rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Casey said.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Google Inc. Vice President of Engineering Andrew Moore joined Casey at the event. Moore said the gap between job openings and qualified people to fill them "keeps me up at night."

Part of the problem is high schools aren't preparing graduates to move into computer science majors in college, Casey said. Many states don't have a certification process for high school computer science teachers, and the courses are treated as electives rather than core curriculum. He said the Pittsburgh school at which he spoke -- which focuses on high-tech computing and robotics courses -- could serve as a national model.

Rebuild America Jobs Act

[adapted from CivilRights.org] [Today,] the U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on the Rebuild America Jobs Act, legislation that would create hundreds of thousands of jobs by investing in the nation’s crumbling roads, highways, and schools.

The Act would provide $50 billion of immediate investments in transportation infrastructure and $10 billion for a national infrastructure institution bank. The bill would also ensure that transportation investments allow for the hiring of local workers—to maximize economic benefits for communities where projects are located—and provide investments for training, apprenticeship, and skill development programs.

[According to] The Leadership Conference, every $1 billion invested in public transportation capital and operations creates or supports: 36,000 jobs, $3.6 billion in business sales, and nearly $500 million in federal, state, and local tax revenues.

The vote [today] comes after a minority of senators blocked the Senate from considering a larger jobs bill, the American Jobs Act. The Senate is now considering pieces of that bill separately—the second of which is the Rebuild America Jobs Act—in hopes that some jobs creating legislation will actually pass.

Senate passes voucher legislation; Senate Bill 1

By Ali Carey, Contributing Writer, PoliticsPA

By a (relatively) narrow 27-22 vote, the state Senate Wednesday passed the long-awaited plan to implement a new taxpayer funded private school vouchers scheme for low-performing schools in Pennsylvania.

Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Sens. Jeffrey Piccola (R-Dauphin) and Anthony Williams (D-Philadelphia), passed following a more than four-hour debate.

It’s a political win for school choice advocates like Tom Corbett – for the moment. The Governor applauded members of the Senate for passing the bill.

Under the plan children from households making less than $29,000 a year would be eligible to receive a full voucher of equal to what is spent in the district in which they live. Students from households earning less than $41,000 would get a voucher equal to 75 percent of the subsidy amount. On average, a family would receive $7,700 for each student, but could get as much as $13,000.

Both the PSEA (Pennsylvania State Education Association) and the PSBA (Pennsylvania School Board Association) strongly oppose Corbett’s plan. They were disappointed with the state funding cuts which forced already struggling school districts to increase class sizes, decrease course offerings and cut programs. The PSEA and the PSBA say school vouchers will take even more money away from public schools.

Promoters of the plan, such as REACH Alliance & Foundation and Commonwealth Foundation believe that the competition created by the voucher plan will ultimately improve schools. Wednesday, the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Association) released a statement accusing the PA Senate of ignoring its obligations to the state legislature by passing private school vouchers. Advocacy groups like Dropout Nation expect the passage of this plan will start a conversation about expanding voucher plans to middle-class households, especially in the suburbs.

The bill now goes to the House for consideration where support for the taxpayer-funded voucher system remains uncertain. House Speaker Sam Smith, R-Jefferson, told the Patriot-News he doubts that the House will pass the education reform plan.