SOLOMON LEACH, Daily News Staff Writer leachs@phillynews.com<\/a>, 215-854-5903 Posted: Wednesday, October 15, 2014, 3:01 AM <\/p>\n<\/p>\n A STATE Senate committee yesterday shot down a proposal that would have given the governor the authority to abolish the School Reform Commission, the body that oversees the Philadelphia School District. <\/p>\n The Senate Appropriations Committee voted down the amendment along party lines, 14-9, with no Republicans supporting it. The committee also rejected a second amendment that would have required the SRC to provide 48 hours' notice before holding a meeting. Both amendments were attached to a bill regarding home-schooling. <\/p>\n Currently, the SRC would have to vote to dissolve itself, with the permission of the secretary of education. <\/p>\n State Sen. Vincent Hughes, of Philadelphia, who sponsored the amendments, said he is disappointed in the result, but satisfied that lawmakers got their message across. <\/p>\n \"The transparency issue, I think everyone should be concerned about,\" said Hughes, the top Democrat on the committee. \"No one is going to lose sight of how they behaved.\" <\/p>\n Hughes crafted the amendments after the SRC unilaterally canceled the district's contract with the teachers union last week and imposed health-care benefits changes, which he called a \"cowardly\" act. <\/p>\n A movement to get rid of the five-member commission was gaining steam even before last week's actions. City Council recently approved a nonbinding resolution for the May ballot asking voters whether they wanted to abolish the SRC. Tom Wolf, the Democratic candidate for governor, has said he favors that change. <\/p>\n Despite yesterday's defeat, Hughes said he would not rule out trying to get a vote on the amendments by the full Senate before its final session today. If that is unsuccessful, he will reintroduce it next year. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n See the article here:<\/p>\n Amendment to give the governor power to abolish the SRC falls flat<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" SOLOMON LEACH, Daily News Staff Writer leachs@phillynews.com<\/a>, 215-854-5903 Posted: Wednesday, October 15, 2014, 3:01 AM A STATE Senate committee yesterday shot down a proposal that would have given the governor the authority to abolish the School Reform Commission, the body that oversees the Philadelphia School District. Continue reading