Republican legislation to phase in North Carolina's upcoming class-size mandate has passed one General Assembly chamber. Democrats complained it is loaded with other provisions targeting Gov. Roy Cooper and the state elections board.
The Senate voted 37-5 Friday for the bill, which also locates money for music, art and physical education teachers so that districts can meet lower teacher-student ratios in kindergarten through third grade.
The measure still must pass the House next week before it can go to Cooper's desk.
Democrats told GOP colleagues they were playing political games by combining the class-size fix with unrelated items. The bill would alter the election board's composition and force any funds coming from an agreement between Cooper's office and utilities building the Atlantic Coast Pipeline to benefit schools.
