By Tuesday morning, four days before the end of the lawmaking session, the aftershocks were clear: The Florida Senate stewed in political disarray and bitterness. Villalobos was forced to move from his spacious majority-leader digs into a cramped office. And a whisper campaign -- implicating Bush himself -- began in earnest to find a political opponent for a man who hasn't faced a challenger in 14 years.
Villalobos splitted with Bush and Senate Republicans on on school class-size and vouchers. Both issues have turned into political losers for Bush. Only 700 children in Florida are currently using the voucher program. Parents never took to vouchers like Bush expected. The Supreme Court dealt Bush another defeat by the Florida Supreme Court.
The OSP contravenes this constitutional provision because it allows some children to receive a publicly funded education through an alternative system of private schools that are not subject to the uniformity requirements of the public school system. The diversion of money not only reduces public funds for a public education but also uses public funds to provide an alternative education in private schools that are not subject to the “uniformity” requirements for public schools. Thus, in two significant respects, the OSP violates the mandate set forth in article IX, section 1
Opponents of vouchers have complained that Bush refused to require private schools using state money to take the FCAT. If he gave in on that one point vouchers would still be alive.
Update: Mike has his own thoughts on what happened to Villalobos.
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