Lawmakers have pulled a bill that would have let Louisiana families use state money to pay for private education for their children, although it may be reconsidered later in the session, Louisiana Illuminator reports.
While lawmakers have added amendments to the bill, they have not identified how the education savings accounts, or ESAs, would be funded.
One amendment to Senate Bill 313 was approved in a tight 20-18 vote and requires students with ESAs to take end-of-course exams as an accountability measure for private schools that accept funds and to measure students’ progress.
“My heart hurts for the thousands of students in Louisiana that are failing,” said Sen. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, before returning his bill to the Senate calendar. The move allows him to bring the bill back up before the session ends June 3.
Before Edmonds’ decision, Sen. Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge, said on the Senate floor that members might want to ponder the bill over the weekend, hinting that the choice to pull the measure before a vote had already been made.
