House Bill 1002

I was reading an article in a newspaper from home today and saw coverage of teachers from across the state protesting against the passing of House Bill 1002, which provided additional state support to charter schools.  Teachers argued that passing this bill would take funding away from public schools in order to provide them to charter schools.  This bill was very contentious, sparking over 2 hours of debate and the sound of teachers in the lobby chanting "no" as the final vote was taken.  I can see why there is so much debate over this bill because, on one hand, charter schools provide additional opportunities for students in successful and failing districts, while on the the other hand, charter schools do take away desperately-needed funding from school districts.  The bill was ultimately passed in the House by a vote of 59-37.

The final text of the bill can be seen on the House's Website
The video of the House's final hearing on the bill can be seen on the House's Website from 2:17:00 to 4:27:00.