Utah Senate votes to pass school voucher bill

Utah Capitol in Salt Lake Metropolis is pictured on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022. (Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information)

(Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information)

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Senate has voted and handed HB215, which might give academics a pay elevate and provides cash to college students in residence research or personal colleges.

The vote Thursday was 20 in favor and eight in opposition to.

The invoice handed the Senate Training Committee Monday, which meant it was introduced earlier than the total Senate for debate and dialogue. Earlier than that, the invoice handed the Home with a two-thirds majority.

Following Thursday’s Senate vote, the invoice now goes to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s desk. The governor has mentioned earlier than that he won’t veto the invoice.

The Utah State Board of Training, nevertheless, opposes it, and claims it is going to take cash away from public schooling. One controversial facet to the invoice had been statements by a lobbyist, a outstanding backer of faculty selection, who mentioned she needed to “destroy public schooling.” Lawmakers disavowed these feedback, and Allison Sorensen, the lobbyist, apologized.

Lecturers from no less than two colleges have walked out of faculty to protest the voucher invoice. At West Excessive, about 20 academics walked out and rallied for about 10 minutes, chanting “public colleges, public cash” and “raises sure, vouchers no.”