Pennsylvania hearing on charter schools, vouchers declared 'null and void'

HARRISBURG — The Republican chairman of the House Education Committee declared a public hearing on charter schools and school vouchers "null and void" Wednesday after Democratic members challenged the legality of the hastily planned meeting.

After nearly an hour consulting with attorneys regarding the parliamentary rules and requirements of the state's Sunshine Act, Chairman Paul Clymer, R-Bucks, said the meeting would proceed as an "informal gathering of Republican members."

Though he invited Democrats to stay, none did, and only two additional Republican members stayed for the duration of the meeting.

Philadelphia Rep. James Roebuck, ranking Democrat on the committee, said a "public hearing" would have been illegal because the committee did not provide the required five-day written notice of the event but rather informed members by email at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Today's meeting came after several days of speculation on whether House leadership would try to pass school voucher or charter school reform bills before recessing for the summer on June 30.

Taxpayer-paid vouchers would help parents send their children to private and parochial schools. The proposed charter school reform measure would change the way the alternative public schools apply to operate.

Despite the chairman's prompting, speakers from various groups opposing the legislation refused to speak at length about the issue, stating that they wanted to reserve the right to speak at an on-the-record public hearing.

House Republican spokesman Steve Miskin said he was "surprised" Democrats did not want a fair hearing. "Democrats on a technicality clearly thought it was OK to inconvenience people," Miskin said.

Miskin said Democrats should have made known their opposition known before the scheduled meeting time.

Bill Patton, spokesman for House Democrats, said his party told the House Chief Clerk of their opposition to the meeting shortly after notice was published on Tuesday afternoon. Patton said it was the clerk's responsibility to communicate this contention with the Education Committee and said Republicans knew of their opposition prior to the start of the meeting on Wednesday.