Chas says a deal's close to strip collective bargaining for teachers:

House Speaker Beth Harwell and key lawmakers have agreed to completely repeal the 1978 law that gave teachers the ability to unionize, casting aside an earlier compromise that would have let them continue to negotiate with school boards over a few issues.

They now plan to accept a Senate measure that would ban contracts negotiated by teachers unions and replace them with employee handbooks written by local school boards. The deal appears to be the final result in a war over teachers unions that has spanned this year’s legislative session.

“This allows the school board to get input from teachers, but the final decision is with the school board,” Harwell said.

The agreement between the House and the Senate will combine aspects of the plans advanced in each chamber, but the basic framework will be the Senate’s bill. The wording of the agreement was still being worked out Wednesday evening, but the bill’s sponsors said they are confident they have a final agreement.