House panel advances bills to let charters pick authorizer and create charter financing programs

Representative Hall presented two related bills. HB 3069 would allow a potential charter school to apply to any approved authorizer rather than requiring an initial application to the local school district, a change sponsors said would reduce administrative barriers and attract new charter operators. The committee discussed whether the local application step encourages collaboration and whether removing it risks adversarial relationships; sponsor noted local districts can still establish charters and said the change simply reduces a duplicative step. The bill passed 6–4.