House lawmakers yesterday rejected a voucher plan that would use public money to help send children to private schools. As New Hampshire Public Radio’s Josh Rogers reports, the measure failed by a single vote.
The house will attend to the state of the vote……171 in the affirmative, 172 in the negative…..the motion fails
With that….. lawmakers not only rejected the use of taxpayer-funded vouchers to help pay for children to be educated at private or religious schools…They also flouted the wishes of House leadership and Governor Craig Benson……The defeated bill was nearly identical to a proposal lawmakers sent to a study committee…..last month….and so was the debate. Opponents like Democrat Deanna Rush of Pembroke argued the proposal would suck millions dollars from the public school system…
“Do you fell comfortable going back to your local community and telling your constituents that you backed a bill that’s going to spend 45 million dollars a year of tax payer money to send children to private and parochial schools? I certainly don’t.”
Proponents, meanwhile, like Republican Sharon Carson of Londonderry, pitched the bill as way to broaden the horizons of lower and middle income families.
The wealthy have always been able to afford school choice for their children……This amendment gives those who can least afford a private school education the opportunity to make a choice on behalf of their child.
But money wasn’t the only focus….. Constitutional questions were also debated at length….. Proponents cited legal precedent…..Critics like Manchester Republican Steve Vaillancourt pointed to article 83 of the NH constitution.
It says I quote no money raised by taxation shall ever be granted or applied for the use of the schools of institution of any religious sect or denomination. How can you say this bill would not simply be money laundering in an attempt to get around the constitutional provision.
After the vote, supporters of school vouchers said the bill fell prey to misinformation. Deputy Majority leader Robert Guida ….said passing a voucher bill is only a matter of time.
We missed by one vote but we’re getting very close to coming to grips with the fact that our job is not to support the institution, but to support the outcome for the kids.
Lawmakers on both sides of the issue say they will keep an eye on the voucher proposal that remains under study…..and say they expect a similar battle next year.
