How We Override Gov. Hogan’s Veto of the Protect Our Schools Act

April 5, 2017

And stop the DeVos privatization agenda in Maryland.

Despite the support that the Protect Our Schools Act has from educators, parents, civil rights groups, state education advocates, national education experts, and legislators, Gov. Hogan vetoed it on Wednesday, April 5.

If you’re wondering what happens next, you’re not alone — it’s been the most asked question on MSEA’s Facebook page over the last couple of weeks.

So here’s the deal:

Following the governor’s veto, the bill returns to the General Assembly. To override the governor’s veto, three-fifths of each chamber must vote to override. In the House of Delegates, that’s 85 votes; in the Senate, it’s 29 votes.

Here’s the good news: in the House, the bill passed with 87 votes (four legislators were also missing at the time of the vote).

@EricLuedtke delivered a powerful defense to support of the Protect Our Schools Act! Bill passes 87 to 50 #HB978 #MDdemsatwork #MDpolitics pic.twitter.com/Jod9I7CCvT
— Nick J. Mosby (@Nick_Mosby) March 28, 2017

And in the Senate, it passed with 32 votes.

Protect Our Schools Act passes the Senate! MD saying no to forced school privatization. pic.twitter.com/pCoqqObs5q
— Delegate Eric Luedtke (@EricLuedtke) March 28, 2017

So Gov. Hogan’s veto can be overridden if every legislator who voted for the bill votes for the override as well.

But time is of the essence: the legislature adjourns for the year at midnight on Monday, April 10. They must override the veto before they adjourn; they can’t wait until the legislature reconvenes next January to override it. If they did, then the State Board would have free rein to submit the state’s new accountability plan, which is due this September to the U.S. Department of Education.

You can bet that if the veto isn’t overridden and the Protect Our Schools Act doesn’t become the law, Gov. Hogan and his State Board will pick back up on their plans to convert public schools to charter schools whether the school community wants it or not, send school funding to private school vouchers, and have the state take over neighborhood schools (as well as ramp back up the focus on standardized testing in how schools are measured).

Urging Gov. Hogan not to veto the Protect Our Schools Act that prevents Maryland schools from being privatized. #ProtectMDSchools https://t.co/5QXJ610OFs
— Craig Zucker (@SenatorZucker) March 28, 2017

Ready to make sure the General Assembly overrides the governor’s veto? Give your representatives a call at 1–888–520–6732 or click here to send them an email. Thank them for their support if they voted for the bill (see the voting boards above) and, either way, ask them to protect our schools and vote to override the governor’s veto before session ends on April 10.