On Wednesday, Sen. Mike Crapo didn’t come out opposed to the controversial Common Core State Standards.

But Idaho’s senior senator voiced serious reservations about the nationwide standards movement — which incorporates the Idaho Core Standards in math and English language arts, which will go into effect this fall.

“The steps taken by the administration to push the Common Core Standards are alarming and may present a dangerous path toward a federal takeover of state standards,” Crapo wrote in a guest opinion issued Wednesday. “We must continue to fight against federal overreach and nationalized approaches to our education system, as these policies inherently produce ineffective policies and unintentional consequences.”

The new comments are a significant departure for Crapo.

In late April, Crapo said he was willing to defer to state leaders, who supported and continued to support Common Core standards. “(Crapo) views it as a state issue already decided since the state accepted the standards and there is no need to interfere with the state’s wishes,” spokesman Lindsay Nothern told Idaho Education News at the time.

Now, Crapo seems to be moving closer to Republican Sen. Jim Risch. In that same Idaho Education News article, Risch said he  opposes Common Core, considering the standards a federal mandate.