Key House education panel unlikely to meet again

It’s four weeks into Florida’s legislative session, and already it appears some high interest proposals are well on their way to the bill graveyard.

The PreK-12 Innovation subcommittee, expanded this year as a first stop to vet and cull education policy measures in the state House, this week held what is expected to be its final meeting.

“We are not scheduled (to meet) next week,” chairman Rep. Ralph Massullo told members at the close of Tuesday’s session, which ended with approval of a major rewrite to testing and accountability laws. “That doesn’t mean that we won’t meet again. But we probably won’t."

That means the several bills sent to the subcommittee as a first reference, but yet unheard, are unlikely to be considered in the House this session. The leadership could choose to send the measures to other committees, though that doesn’t happen routinely.

On the list of bills left hanging are some issues that have been the subject of hot debate.

Not least among them is Rep. Anna Eskamani’s HB 45, which would bar private schools from discriminating against LGBTQ youth or children with disabilities, if they want to participate in state scholarship and voucher programs. The topic has gained increasing attention in recent days as some companies have withdrawn their financial support for the state tax credit scholarship program, after reports that dozens of participating private schools have policies to expel gay students.

Eskamani has said she received signals early that her bill wouldn’t move. Massullo all but confirmed that view.

“I do not believe there is an impetus here to tell private schools what to do,” he told the Tampa Bay Times, while discussing the proposal.

Other measures that had strong constituencies behind them include:

• HB 341, to require public high schools offer an elective course on the Bible and scripture. A similar bill failed in 2019.

• HB 515, to allow English language learners to take state exams in their primary language. The idea, which also got nowhere a year ago, had growing bipartisan support.

• HB 781, to prohibit teachers from using corporal punishment and refining its use by school administrators. Most Florida school districts have abandoned the practice, but some still use it.

• HB 1043, changing the rules and definitions for providing student transportation to and from school, including the definition of hazardous walking conditions.

Massullo chose to focus attention on what the subcommittee had accomplished, including the advancement of bills relating to school security, student-athlete health, prekindergarten and more.

“We have done good work for the people of our state, and we’ve set up a good foundation for our children to move forward,” he told the subcommittee.

He also held out the slight possibility that the panel’s work is not done.

“If something comes up that we have to meet, obviously we can be called to meet up to week six,” Massullo told the Times.