Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R,C,I-Big Flats) will support Assembly Bill 6777 sponsored by Assembly Education Chair Cathy Nolan should it come to the floor for a vote, but remarked on how the bill differed from the version sponsored by the Assembly Minority known as the Common Core Parental Refusal Act (A.6025).

“I have received numerous letters from teachers urging support of Nolan’s legislation,” Friend said. “I will be supporting Assembly Bill 6777, but would have liked it to go as far as ours does in terms of protections for teachers and informing parents of their right to opt-out. I also would have liked for it to have been circulated to the Minority for potential sponsorship as well. The Common Core Parental Refusal Act has bipartisan sponsorship because we sought out our colleagues regardless of political affiliation. Despite being introduced more recently, and, unlike our bill, lacking a Senate Majority sponsor, Nolan moved her bill out of her committee without acting on our bill.”

“This is a good bill,” Friend said. “Ours is a great bill, and in an effort to not make great the enemy of good, I’ll support it, but it appears the Majority is more interested in self-serving political theater than making good laws.”