Montana: Koch Brothers in Arms with Republicans/Gianforte

[TexasTowelie]

We know why the Montana GOP and the Koch Brothers invested heavily in Greg Gianforte’s campaign for “CEO of Montana” and Elsie Arntzen’s whimsical fairy tale adventure to become Superintendent of Public Instruction…for publicly funded charter schools.

Last week we saw a barrage of publicly funded charter school bills hit the Montana Legislature. There was of course the usual budget busting charter school bill that bankrupts our public education system and closes rural school, but then there was something else. A red herring if you will.

HB 423 introduced by Rep. Seth Berglee is titled an act to create a special needs education savings accounts. Wait, the Republicans actually want to help students with disabilities succeed? Not so fast. The Montana GOP also voted this week to table HB 32 which would have increased special education funding at Montana’s public schools. So, is HB 423 the GOP’s solution to special education funding? Not even close.

The Koch Brothers Americans for Prosperity (AFP) supports this legislation. With this astroturf group involved, we can assume there is an ulterior motive. Governor Bullock vetoed HB 322, the exact same bill as HB 423, in 2015. While HB 322 disguised itself as a way to help children with special needs education, it actually allowed tax dollars to be taken out of public schools and into private schools. The bill was so vague that it even allowed students of divorce, military families, and siblings of students who actually have learning disabilities to send their public tax dollars to private schools. Schools like, let’s say, Petra Academy.

Read more: http://mtcowgirl.com/2017/02/20/koch-brothers-in-arms-with-republicansnew-jersey-gianforte/