The Senate Finance Committee removed Hamilton and Knox counties from the Education Savings (vouchers) Accounts bill in order to get two Hamilton County senators to vote for it. It limped out of committee on a 6-5 vote.
The House, after extensive debate voted on the bill and it was a tie vote at 49-49. But House Speaker Glen Casada held the vote board open for well over a half hour until someone was found to switch their vote to yes. The bill passed 50-48. There are wide differences between the Senate and House versions, most prominently dropping Knox and Hamilton counties out of the Senate bill.
There will likely be a conference committee to hash out the differences, but prospects are not good that a compromise can be reached. Here is a column written before session started this week.
UPDATE: Knox County Reps. Gloria Johnson, Rick Staples and Dave Wright voted no on the House bill. Reps. Bill Dunn (primary sponsor), Martin Daniel, Justin Lafferty and Jason Zachary voted yes. In the Senate committee, Richard Briggs voted no.