On Wednesday morning, House Education Committee members voted 10 to 5 to repeal the Idaho Content Standards, more commonly known as Common Core standards. 

The vote came after nearly two hours of passionate debate amongst legislators, who had previously heard nearly nine hours of public testimony on the topic. 

Only committee Democrats, plus House Education Committee Chair Lance Clow, R-Twin Falls, and Vice Chair Ryan Kerby, R-New Plymouth, voted to retain the Common Core standards. 

The fight to end Common Core now moves to the Senate Education Committee. The committee chairman, Sen. Dean Mortimer, R-Idaho Falls, previously promised quick hearings on the controversial standards. 

The Senate committee has several options: It could refuse to hear the standards, which would keep them in place; the Senate committee could vote to uphold the standards, which would also keep them in place despite the House committee’s vote to repeal; or the Senate committee could match the House action, which would remove the standards from Idaho’s administrative rule books. 

The Senate Education Committee could hold a hearing on the topic as early as Thursday.

Should you wish to send the Senate Education Committee your thoughts about Idaho Content Standards, promptly contact the committee. The panel’s email is [email protected]. 

Below is a list of the Senate Education Committee’s members: 

Sen. Dean Mortimer, R-Idaho Falls, chair

Sen. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett, vice chair

Sen. Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian

Sen. Carl Crabtree, R-Grangeville

Sen. Jim Woodward, R-Sagle

Sen. Dave Lent, R-Idaho Falls

Sen. Cherie Buckner-Webb, D-Boise

Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise 

Additionally, the Idaho Freedom Foundation previously prepared a short research part outlining Common Core’s numerous problems. Click here to read and download that paper.