Republicans are moving quickly to pass a school accountability bill early next year, which would give Gov. Scott Walker an early example of how effectively he'll be able to push his agenda through the Legislature during his second term.

The measure sank last session due to concerns about how to sanction failing schools and test private school students who use taxpayer-funded vouchers so they can be compared to their public school peers. Republican leaders, who will return with larger majorities in January, have said the issue will be one of the first they tackle, and a draft is already circulating and could be made public next month....

The accountability bill involves powerful interests in the Capitol — including the deep-pocketed voucher school lobby, private schools and public schools. Former Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen is a lobbyist for the American Federation for Children, and two other former speakers lobby for another pro-voucher group, School Choice Wisconsin.

American Federation for Children has been a major backer of Walker and pro-voucher members of the Legislature, spending $4.5 million since 2010 to help them, according to a tally by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. In the most recent election, the group spent about $850,000 on legislative races. That included nearly $111,000 to defeat vocal anti-voucher Democratic state Rep. Mandy Wright, who lost by 84 votes.