Nebraska lawmakers who support an Omaha charter-schools bill launched a debate on a measure that was killed in committee this year.

Omaha Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh raised the issue Tuesday as lawmakers prepared to vote on an unrelated bill to fund teacher retirement plans.

The charter-schools bill was supported by the Platte Institute and Americans for Prosperity-Nebraska, but opposed by the state Department of Education, Omaha Public Schools and the Nebraska State Education Association.

The move came less than a week after supporters of a stalled Medicaid-expansion bill raised that issue during legislative debate on an unrelated proposal.

Supporters of the teacher-retirement bill warned that failing to pass it would blow a hole in the budget, because the state is legally obligated to fund the plans.