BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!

Maybe this one Greg?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(Guest Post by Matthew Ladner)
 
Colorado, Arizona, Washington DC and now…word has arrived that Indiana legislators have sent what will become the nation’s largest voucher program to Governor Daniels for signature. I will update with details when available.
 
Huge win for the school choice movement, and especially for the Foundation for Educational Choice (nee Friedman Foundation).
 
4 down, 3 to go…
 

UPDATE: Friedman Foundation Press Release below. Still requires House approval, but also expands pre-existing tax credit program and creates a new tax deduction for private school expenses. It may soon be 6 down, 1 to go…

Indiana Senate Passes Nation’s Largest Voucher Bill

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — The Indiana Senate today passed legislation that would create the nation’s broadest school voucher program, allowing low- and middle-income families to use taxpayer funds to send their children to the private school of their choice.

House Bill 1003, which was approved by the Senate in a 28-22 vote, would create a new scholarship program enabling families to send their children to the private school of their choice. Scholarship amounts are determined on a sliding scale based on income, with families receiving up to 90 percent of state support.

The Indiana House of Representatives previously approved a similar version of the bill by a vote of 56-42. The Senate version, which adds a $1,000 tax deduction for families that pay out of pocket for private or homeschool expenses, will now go back to the House. If the House agrees to the changes made in the Senate, the bill will proceed to Governor Daniels, who is expected to sign the bill into law.

“This is exciting news,” said Robert Enlow, President and CEO of the Foundation for Educational Choice. “We applaud those legislators who stood tall for kids, and we hope the House will concur as soon as possible so that Indiana families who desperately need educational options do not have to wait any longer.”

If enacted, the voucher would be available to far more students than other programs in the country, where vouchers are limited to low-income households, students in failing schools, or special-needs students. Under HB 1003, a family of four earning up to $61,000 per year would be eligible.

Additionally, the $1,000 tax deduction for private and homeschool expenses has universal eligibility. The bill also improves Indiana’s scholarship tax credit program by increasing the program cap to $5 million, making $10 million in scholarships available to Hoosier families.

2 Responses to BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!

  1. Daniel Earley says:

    Programs that can awaken appetite in the middle class are the key to tipping points. Finally!

  2. allen says:

    I don’t know why you pundit-types don’t accentuate the cost benefits of vouchers.

    Considering the parlous state of most states a policy that would please several constituencies like parents, tax-payers, municipal unions and various elected officials would go over pretty big.

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