By fitsnews – March 22, 2012
GOP LEADERSHIP CANDIDATE TRIES TO GUT SCHOOL CHOICE BILL TO ADVANCE HER CAREER
Who is S.C. Rep. Jenny Horne?
Last year, she was one of only sixteen “Republicans” in the S.C. House of Representatives who voted to kill a universal parental choice bill. She was also one of thirteen “Republicans” to sponsor legislation establishing a government-run, Massachusetts-style “health care exchange” in South Carolina (she later withdrew her sponsorship after local Tea Party groups caught wind of the legislation).
Need more evidence of her ideological loyalties? Horne has taken tens of thousands of dollars from the state’s left-leaning trial lawyer lobby, which along with the liberal education establishment is one of the most influential status quo institution at the S.C. State House.
She’s a “Republican in Name Only,” in other words (or a “Democrat in Drag” as one state lawmaker told us this week).
Anyway … because being a RINO is apparently a prerequisite for assuming a legislative leadership position (see Senate President John Courson and House Speaker Bobby Harrell for examples), Horne is apparently on the fast track to become a GOP floor leader.
In fact she’s actively campaigning for one of these leadership posts right now …
Her platform? Glad you asked … at the moment, it consists exclusively of delaying a vote on a scaled-down parental choice bill until after the filing period for legislative elections (i.e. when lawmakers will know for sure whether they have a primary or general election opponent). Not only that … she’s trying to run out the clock on the legislation so that it won’t have time to clear the South Carolina Senate this session.
For those of you who don’t follow the implication here, Horne is attempting to block (and possibly kill) a bill that has passed both the subcommittee and full committee levels until lawmakers know whether or not they will face an electoral challenge in 2012).
She’s pandering to their “finger-in-the-wind” mentality as well as their fear… promising to block a vote that will effect the lives of thousands of children so that they can go off in search of political cover.
Amazing …
While Horne seeks to elevate her status at the S.C. State House by appealing to the cowardice of her fellow RINOs, it’s important to remember that more than 100,000 children are currently trapped in the nation’s worst public school system – one that continues to produce diminishing returns (even as taxpayers’ investment has soared to a record levels).
That Horne would keep these children waiting even one second longer in an effort to further her personal political ambitions is downright despicable.
Lives are stake here – as is our state’s long-term competitiveness.
And yet Horne is willing to risk all of that to become a GOP floor leader?
That simply disgusts us …
Our state’s K-12 education system is in immediate need of reform – and this parental choice bill represents a long-overdue first step in that direction. That Horne would try and block it for any reason is worth singling her out for criticism … but the fact that she’s stepping on the backs of poor, mostly minority children trapped in failing public schools in an effort to advance a single rung on the partisan political ladder is just sickening.
Jenny Horne should immediately withdraw her name from consideration for a legislative leadership position … because she’s proving by her conduct that she’s no leader.
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