Monroe, LA: Murray and Kostelka think Superintendent of Education John C. White perjured himself when he testified on May 30.

MONROE, La. — Two members of the Louisiana Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee think state Superintendent of Education John C. White lied to the committee during his confirmation hearing in May, and they want him to answer for it.

Emails obtained by The Monroe News-Star show, in just over 24 hours, the creation and rollout of a new phase in the Louisiana Scholarship Program, the notification to schools of the new step, and a website adjustment to reflect the change — all at White’s direction, just before and after he told committee members the letter explaining the next phase had been planned for some time.

Sen. Bob Kostelka, R-Monroe, spent much of Friday trying unsuccessfully to reach committee chairman Sen. Jody Amedee, R-Gonzales, to ask that he reconvene the committee or poll its members to see if others would like White to answer questions about the creation of the process that expanded the approval process of the Louisiana Scholarship Program, the statewide school voucher program.

Sen. Ed Murray, D-New Orleans, said he had communicated with Amedee’s staff and asked that he reconvene the committee.

Amedee said Monday he had received a message from Kostelka, but had not returned his call.

The program uses state money to pay for tuition and fees at non-public schools for children whose families meet federal income guidelines and whose home schools have been graded C or lower by the state.

Murray and Kostelka think White perjured himself when he testified on May 30.

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