LOUISVILLE (WHAS11) -- It's a proposal that saw school superintendents in Kentucky warning of more sick-outs and funding issues.
The tension was high during a hearing for House Bill 205.
Insults echoed in the House Appropriations and Revenue hearing--depending on who you asked, the bill alone was an insult.
Supporters wore their yellow school choice scarves while opponents donned their red shirts. Current and retired educators argue that H.B. 205 steals money from public school funding because it gives tax credits to those donating to scholarship funds for families in need to seek private education for their children.
Tempers hit a fever pitch as Lexington Democrat Flood grilled a school choice supporter and accused the supporter of turning to the state to fundraise for faith-based institutions whose members won't donate due to a "crisis of faith."
Chairman Steven Rudy threatened to shut the hearing down when tension grew too high.
A dad testified that he works 60 to 70 hours a week, so his special needs son can get a private education after public schools failed to help the child.
Passing HB 205, he said, would allow him to be with his son more as he enters high school.
Floor Leader Bam Carney, who sponsors the bill, thinks the GOP majority is short the 60 votes he prefers for passage, so, as time ticks on in the 2019 general assembly, there was only committee discussion on this bill for Tuesday.
“We do think that we could pick up a few Democratic votes on the issue but that number fluctuates,” Carney said.
He said he couldn’t say if this bill would end up being attached to another bill.
“I think the focus right now is to keep this bill on its merits, continue to educate people on the process and see where we go from there,” Carney said.
The other bill that has teachers concerned is House Bill 525. It's positioned for a full vote in the House. Representative Carney said that won't happen on Tuesday and it's unclear when it will happen.
Contact reporter Tyler Emery at temery@WHAS11.com. Follow her on Twitter (@TylerWHAS11) and Facebook.