Special session sought

Gov. Olene Walker intends to call Utah lawmakers into another special session, hoping they will OK her veto-compromise plan on a controversial special-education voucher bill.

Walker spokeswoman Amanda Covington confirmed Friday that the governor will call a special session, but when is up in the air.

"I am confident the legislators who sponsored the bill support the end result, which is helping these children — the same result I am working toward," Walker said.

But it's uncertain whether legislators will go for Walker's plan, which would essentially let the State Board of Education decide who can benefit from the bill's $1.4 million. Some are reserving judgment until they see a task force's recommendations — which could come as early as Monday — detailing how the money would get to children with disabilities.

Some observers see political maneuvering in Walker's special session proposal. Walker is seeking to be elected governor in her own right after succeeding to the post upon Mike Leavitt's resignation to head the Environmental Protection Agency, and to do so she needs to get through the state GOP convention, which is a week away.

The issue is over HB115, popularly known as the Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarships. The bill sought to give up to $5,400 to parents to send students with disabilities to private schools as they see fit.

The measure was written at the request of Cheryl Smith, whose son, Carson, attends the Carmen B. Pingree School for Children with Autism. It aimed to help parents choose the best education for their children — an endeavor that costs the Smiths $21,000 a year.

But public education officials said the bill was nothing but a voucher, which they adamantly oppose as a drain on public school dollars.

Walker, a former educator, appeared to split the baby: She vetoed the bill, but she left its $1.4 million in the budget.

The veto, however, angered some conservative legislators. It also provided opportunities for voucher-backing GOP gubernatorial race rivals to blast the action in public debates. Some legislators wanted to override the veto in a short special session earlier this week but couldn't get the House votes to do it.