The bill had been rejected last week by the state’s House education committee by a bipartisan vote of 7-4. It had been thought to have died for this legislative session, according to local public radio station WWNO.However, Republican state Rep.
Raymond Crews put forth a motion that advanced the bill through a procedure called “Committee of the Whole,” allowing the House to vote to override the committee.
It passed 55-39.Any legislation must go through committee approval according to the state’s constitution. This means that the House will now hold a committee hearing itself.
WWNO reports that lawmakers will be able to call outside individuals to testify.State Rep. Sam Jenkins, a Democrat, blasted the move by Crews.“It would be unprecedented to use the committee of the whole for this purpose,” Jenkins, who serves as the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said, according to the outlet. “If that’s the case, then every bill that fails in a committee could be brought to the floor.