-- On their second attempt in as many months, state Republicans have succeeded in pushing a bill to repeal Alabama's common core curriculum standards out of committee.

In a split decision, the committee approved the bill sponsored by Sen. Scott Beason, R-Gardendale, with senators voting by voice vote instead of roll call.

Beason told the committee he opposes the standards the Alabama State Board of Education approved for Math and English language arts in 2010 because they have not been proven.

With 45 states currently using the new standards, he said, it "leads to the possibility of everyone going into the ditch at the same time" if they fail.

The bill is virtually identical to the one filed earlier in the session by Sen. Dick Brewbaker, R-Pike Road.

That bill failed to clear the same committee when Sens. Bill Holtzclaw, R-Madison, and Trip Pittman, R-Montrose, joined Democrats in opposing the repeal in a previous committee meeting.

Since then, the Republican National Committee has issued harsh criticism of the common core, calling it "an inappropriate overreach to standardize and control the education of our children so they will conform to a preconceived 'normal.'"

Developed by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers through an ad hoc initiative, Achieve Inc., the standards are intended to improve the nation's academic achievement in math and English language arts through a more rigorous set of standards that are universal across state lines.

They have been under attack by conservatives as a federal intrusion into state government since the Obama administration announced in 2009 that states seeking federal Race to the Top grants would be scored in part on whether they adopt the common core.

The Alabama State Board of Education adopted the standards for both math and English in 2010, over the objection of then incoming Gov. Robert Bentley.

It reaffirmed that adoption in 2011, renaming them the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards.

The new math standards are already in effect, and the English standards are due to take effect in August.