Friends,
There is good news, bad news and worse news.
The good news is last night the Senate, in a historic vote, finally took up school choice. Although the amendment was defeated we finally know who supports the failed status quo system, and who wants to move South Carolina forward.
Senator Larry Grooms, who authored this amendment, explained how his amendment would not take money away from government schools, and would help low income families give their children a quality education.
The bad news: nine “Republican” Senators voted with Democrats to table the school choice amendment. These nine Senators decided to keep school choice out of South Carolina, making us one of the only states in the South where children are stuck in failing government schools.
Who are these nine so called “Republicans”?
Senator Thomas Alexander
Senator Paul Campbell
Senator John Courson
Senator Ronnie Cromer
Senator Wes Hayes
Senator Hugh Leatherman
Senator Larry Martin
Senator Billy O’Dell
Senator Luke Rankin
It gets even worse. Last week nine Republicans voted for an expansion of pre-kindergarten – the same universal program that President Obama pushed for in his 2013 State of the Union address. Yesterday, eight of those same self-proclaimed “Republicans” voted against school choice, an idea President Reagan promoted in his 1984 State of the Union address, and called, “a remarkable advance in American education, an idea whose time has come.”
You read that correctly. Eight of the self-proclaimed “Republicans” that voted against school choice, voted for Obama’s pre-kindergarten expansion. Who are the eight Senators against a proven Reagan education plan, and for an expensive program Obama program?
Senator Thomas Alexander
Senator Paul Campbell
Senator John Courson
Senator Ronnie Cromer
Senator Wes Hayes
Senator Hugh Leatherman
Senator Larry Martin
Senator Luke Rankin
We are especially disappointed that Senator Courson and Senator Cromer voted against school choice. In the past, Senator Courson proudly touted his support for the Reagan presidency in 1980 and 1984 but no longer does. Senator Cromer claimed to support school choice, but balked when the chance came up to implement a very basic version of it.
South Carolina took a step forward when school choice had a vote on the Senate floor. Unfortunately, these nine “Republicans” don’t want education in South Carolina to move forward. They continue to defend the failed government schools – while turning their backs not only on families who need it the most, but on the greatest conservative icon of their lifetime.
Today the Senate will take up more budget amendments. Senators will have the chance to pass school choice. Please call and tell them the government school system in South Carolina has failed our children for too long. It is time to give parents a choice.
Sincerely,
Phillip Cease
Executive Director
South Carolina Club for Growth
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