Representative John Kowalko has reintroduced a bill that Governor John Carney vetoed back in 2017. House Bill 238 repeals the ability of a charter school to give preference in student admissions to students residing within a 5-mile radius of the school.
The 2017 bill that Carney vetoed passed both chambers with bipartisan majorities, and unusual coalitions. Here is the vote breakdown back then:
| Yes Votes | No Votes |
| House Passed 27-13-1. B. Short, Baumbach, Bentz, Brady, Carson, Collins, D. Short, Dukes, Gray, Hensley, Hudson, Jaques, K. Williams, Kenton, Mel.Smith, Miro, Osienski, Outten, Paradee, Postles, Q.Johnson, Ramone, Smyk, Spiegelman, Viola, Wilson, Yearick | Bennett, Bolden, Briggs King, Heffernan, J. Johnson, Kowalko, Longhurst, Lynn, Matthews, Mitchell, Mulrooney, Potter, Schwartzkopf. [Absent: Keeley] |
| Senate Passed 12-4-2-3. Bonini, Bushweller, Cloutier, Hansen, Hocker, Lawson, Lopez, McBride, Poore, Richardson, Sokola, Walsh | Delcollo, Henry, Marshall, McDowell [Absent: Ennis, Pettyjohn, Townsend] [Not Voting: Lavelle, Simpson] |
Notice that the new bill’s lead sponsor, Rep. John Kowalko, voted no in 2017. As far as I can tell, these bills are identical, and I know that Kowalko has been trying to repeal this preference for years. Indeed, he was a sponsor on the 2017 bill. So I am sure he had a reason to vote no in 2017, and it seems that reason has been addressed if he is again a sponsor on this new bill. Hopefully this bill gets a vote this year so we can see another unusual coalition re-form.
| House Bill 238 Sponsors | Yes Votes | No Votes |
| Kowalko, Baumbach, Morrison, K.Williams, Wilson-Anton | ||
| Pinkney | ||
| Current Status: House Education Committee |
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