State School News Service reports that Rev. Sen. James Meeks has filed several bills that make good on his comments in yesterday's Sun-Times op-ed.

According to SSNS, the bills will:

1) Create a voucher program under which parents could receive state funding to cover the cost of their children's tuition to private schools. (SB 2494)

2) Remove the current limitation on the number of charter schools allowed in Illinois. (SB 2495)

3) Codify "public school choice," a system in which any child who is a resident of Illinois would be able to attend any public school in the state without any non-resident tuition being charged. (SB 2496)

SSNS's Jim Broadway adds, "his initiatives play into the hands of those who would profit from the "privatization" of public education. Meeks' voucher-charter-choice package cannot be advanced very soon. Today is the last scheduled legislative session day of 2009. Nothing can happen with the bills until the Senate returns to Springfield."