We’ve been on a roll throughout the country on school choice, but we suffered our first defeat last night. Hopefully, it is only temporary. The vote was 85-89, with 16 rural Republicans voting with the teacher unions and against kids.

The Speaker of the House says he will bring up the vote again in January. We say this can’t wait that long. Only about one in three kids in Georgia public schools is reading and math proficient in the 8th grade. The educational abuse of children – especially in Inner-city Atlanta – is a racial injustice and economic crisis that cannot persist for one more day.

Governor Brian Kemp MUST call for a special session to pass this bill in the weeks ahead. And if the 16 Republicans continue to oppose educational freedom and competition in schools, then it is time for them to leave.