The House’s Republican leadership could slow down an attempt by the Senate to fast-track a universal open enrollment bill.
Following criticism of the Senate’s vote late last month, Republican House leaders are expected to request a committee of conference with the Senate, according to three individuals familiar with the process. This procedural step would require members of both legislative bodies to meet to hash out disagreements on the bill.
The proposed legislation would immediately allow students to attend any public school in the state at the expense of their home school district.
The measure could fundamentally reshape public education in the state. It has garnered the support of many Republicans, who argue it would maximize parental control over their children’s education. Democratic lawmakers, along with school board members and administrators, however, have said it would exacerbate inequalities between school districts and lead to an implementation mess.
Nearly every school board in the Concord region has moved in recent months to propose district-level open enrollment policies that would effectively block their students from leaving at the district’s expense. The legislation under consideration would supersede those local policies.
The anticipated timing of the House’s request for a committee of conference is not clear, according to the three people. When the House is in recess, leaders in the majority party can request a committee of conference without a vote, according to House Clerk Paul Smith.
Republican Sen. Tim Lang, who has led the universal open enrollment effort, said in a text message Thursday that he “would expect the Senate to agree” to a committee of conference.
Zachary Letourneau, a legislative aide in the House Republican office, said Thursday afternoon he needed to speak with House Majority Leader Jason Osborne before confirming that the caucus planned to request a committee of conference.
The Senate added its open enrollment language to existing unrelated House bill, thereby bypassing the standard hearing process.
Critics have raised a series of implementation questions about the policy that range from financial to logistical in nature.
In her first public comments about the bill, Gov. Kelly Ayotte said last weekend that she has has “some concerns.”
“I think there’s much more work that needs to be done on this bill because of some of the local feedback that we’ve heard in our office,” she told WMUR. “And again, education is so important to the state. We’re spending a historical amount on education per pupil in the state, but we want to make sure that at the local level, that we’re not disrupting their ability to serve each child and serve them well every single day.”