State Rep. Jack O’Malley released the following statement today after Senate Democrats refused to grant immediate support for a measure that would allow school districts to count a day as a pupil instruction day in the event of a closure during a governor-declared state of emergency:

“There’s no doubt party politics are in play here. Democrats have sided with unions and special interest groups over what’s best for our students and school districts.

“We worked swiftly and carefully to create this solution– settling on a commonsense plan that had bipartisan support. All of our ducks were in a row until Senate Democrats chose to prevent the immediate effect of this measure, completely defeating the purpose of helping school districts before the end of this school year.

“Now, many school districts will be forced to hold class well into June and possibly even July, foiling family summer plans and scheduled construction and maintenance that schools need to have completed on time before school starts again in the fall.”

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