Update on SB 1 - the School Voucher Bill

I just received an email from PSEA (the PA State Education Association) - one of the lead organizations of the Pennsylvanians Opposed to School Vouchers coalition - regarding what happened with the school voucher bill today in the Pennsylvania Senate.  Here's the text of that email from Beth Zampogna, Assistant Director of Government Relations:

Update on SB 1 -

Thanks to all of you for your EXCELLENT work and outreach to Senators opposing Senate Bill 1. Collectively we have made significant progress [emphasis added]. As of this morning the Senate was scheduled to vote on SB 1 and we did not have the votes to defeat it. Throughout the day, based on all of your hard work, we got a LOT closer on the vote count and raised significant concerns about the bill, particularly among the Senate Republican caucus. Even after Governor Corbett himself appeared in the Senate Republican caucus pushing for support for vouchers, the decision by the caucus was to postpone the vote tonight and possibly tomorrow on SB 1. In fact, we have heard that they may not vote the bill at the earliest until the week of April 25 [emphasis added].

This is real progress but there’s a lot more work to be done. We must take advantage of this momentum - PLEASE CONTACT YOUR MEMBERS AND ADVOCATES and urge them to keep up the pressure. As of today, the following are the Senators we believe need to receive the most contact urging opposition to Senate Bill 1:


• Rich Alloway (R-Franklin, Adams)
• Mike Brubaker (R-Lancaster)
• Jane Earll (R-Erie)
• Bob Mensch (R-Montgomery)
• Mike Stack (D-Philadelphia)
• LeAnna Washington (D-Montgomery)
• Mary Jo White (R-Venango)
• Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming)

More updates and information to follow tomorrow as we continue to collect intelligence from across the street but for now just want to say thanks and congratulations on this accomplishment. Let’s keep up the hard work!

So please continue to call / email your Senator and tell him/her to vote NO on SB 1.  My earlier blog today gives more details including links to talking points and information on how to find out who you Senator is and how to contact him/her. 

Thanks for all you do!