After a slight legislative skirmish between the Ohio House and Senate over unwanted amendments, HB 36, the “Restoration of Calamity Days” bill was signed into law today by Governor John Kasich.
The Columbus Dispatch reported:
Schools will get two additional snow days this year, after the Ohio Senate brought a quick end yesterday to a dispute over the bill granting them.
The legislation, which would increase from three to five the number of so-called calamity days that schools can miss without having to make them up, got hung up in the House this week, mainly over a disputed provision related to charter schools that the Senate had added to the bill.
House Democrats, whose votes were needed to ensure that the bill would take effect immediately, did not like a requirement that public schools bus students to charter schools, STEM schools or nonpublic schools when they make up calamity days. The Democrats called that an unfunded mandate.
Some Democrats also said they didn’t like another provision related to the ability of schools to make up snow days through online lessons and take-home work.
The House voted to reject the Senate amendments on Tuesday.
Rather than fight it out in a conference committee, the Senate yesterday took the rare step of “receding” from its amendments – essentially stripping them out of the bill, allowing it to pass. The House had passed the original version of the bill with the emergency clause, allowing it to take effect right away.
Sen. Keith Faber, R-Celina, said the issues of busing and makeup days will be debated another day.
Gov. John Kasich said in a statement: “I look forward to signing this, not only for the relief it provides, but also because, let’s face it, kids love snow days.”
Kids do love snow days. School love snow days too.
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