Corbett rallies Senate GOP on vouchers
By Angela Couloumbis and Adrienne LuHARRISBURG - Gov. Corbett made an unusual and unexpected appearance Tuesday afternoon at a closed-door meeting of Senate Republicans to shore up support for a school-voucher bill to help low-income students attend the schools of their choice.
The governor carved out time to meet with the GOP legislators after it became clear that the voucher legislation was running into trouble. The Republican-controlled Senate was expected to approve it Tuesday but instead put off the vote to iron out differences.
Afterward, Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R., Delaware) played down any dissension within his ranks over the bill, which calls for redirecting a substantial block of public-school dollars to help low-income parents at failing schools pay tuition at a private or parochial school of their choosing.
"We have very, very strong support in our caucus for the bill, and it is still a priority for the Senate Republican caucus," Pileggi said. "We fully expect to continue work on this bill and have this bill passed."
Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley could not be reached for comment. The governor did not answer questions as he left the closed-door caucus meeting among Senate Republicans on Tuesday afternoon.
It is unusual, though not unheard of, for the state's top executive to venture down to visit lawmakers caucusing behind closed doors. Corbett's predecessor, Ed Rendell, did so at least once, according to a former spokesman, but it is not a common practice.
Pileggi offered few details about Corbett's visit, saying only that "the governor expressed his strong support for the bill and offered his assistance in the process in moving the bill from the Senate to the House to his desk."
The Republican leader said some more changes would be made to the proposal, but he declined to give specifics. The earliest that the Senate could take the bill up is April 26. The chamber takes a one-week break next week because of Easter.
The school voucher legislation has received bipartisan support but remains controversial. The bill cleared a key vote in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday, but it has not yet been taken up by the full Senate or, for that matter, the House, where it faces an uncertain future.
The legislation would allow families meeting certain income restrictions to receive vouchers they could apply toward tuition at private or parochial schools. The vouchers would equal the amount of per-pupil student aid, which varies from district to district but would be about $7,900 per student in Philadelphia.
The original bill targeted students from low-income families. Changes to the bill earlier this week would expand eligibility to include some middle-income students in the fourth year of the program.
Senate Bill 1 would also expand the popular Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program to $100 million from $75 million. The program enables low- and middle-income students to receive scholarships financed by businesses that receive tax credits from the state for their contributions.
Proponents of the vouchers argue that parents of all incomes should have the freedom to choose their children's schools. Opponents say vouchers would hurt public schools by taking away funding and the imperative to improve them.
A fiscal estimate developed by Republicans projected that the bill would cost taxpayers $735 million over four years.
The governor carved out time to meet with the GOP legislators after it became clear that the voucher legislation was running into trouble. The Republican-controlled Senate was expected to approve it Tuesday but instead put off the vote to iron out differences.
Afterward, Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R., Delaware) played down any dissension within his ranks over the bill, which calls for redirecting a substantial block of public-school dollars to help low-income parents at failing schools pay tuition at a private or parochial school of their choosing.
"We have very, very strong support in our caucus for the bill, and it is still a priority for the Senate Republican caucus," Pileggi said. "We fully expect to continue work on this bill and have this bill passed."
Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley could not be reached for comment. The governor did not answer questions as he left the closed-door caucus meeting among Senate Republicans on Tuesday afternoon.
It is unusual, though not unheard of, for the state's top executive to venture down to visit lawmakers caucusing behind closed doors. Corbett's predecessor, Ed Rendell, did so at least once, according to a former spokesman, but it is not a common practice.
Pileggi offered few details about Corbett's visit, saying only that "the governor expressed his strong support for the bill and offered his assistance in the process in moving the bill from the Senate to the House to his desk."
The Republican leader said some more changes would be made to the proposal, but he declined to give specifics. The earliest that the Senate could take the bill up is April 26. The chamber takes a one-week break next week because of Easter.
The school voucher legislation has received bipartisan support but remains controversial. The bill cleared a key vote in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday, but it has not yet been taken up by the full Senate or, for that matter, the House, where it faces an uncertain future.
The legislation would allow families meeting certain income restrictions to receive vouchers they could apply toward tuition at private or parochial schools. The vouchers would equal the amount of per-pupil student aid, which varies from district to district but would be about $7,900 per student in Philadelphia.
The original bill targeted students from low-income families. Changes to the bill earlier this week would expand eligibility to include some middle-income students in the fourth year of the program.
Senate Bill 1 would also expand the popular Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program to $100 million from $75 million. The program enables low- and middle-income students to receive scholarships financed by businesses that receive tax credits from the state for their contributions.
Proponents of the vouchers argue that parents of all incomes should have the freedom to choose their children's schools. Opponents say vouchers would hurt public schools by taking away funding and the imperative to improve them.
A fiscal estimate developed by Republicans projected that the bill would cost taxpayers $735 million over four years.
3 comments:
Even the Republicans say it will cost taxpayers $735 million?
No thanks!
Corbett pushes school vouchers
By Brad Bumsted and Jodi Weigland
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
HARRISBURG -- Republican Gov. Tom Corbett on Tuesday took the unusual step of appearing before the Senate GOP closed-door caucus to argue for passage of school choice, but a vote on the bill was postponed until April 26 at the earliest.
"He (Corbett) said he wants it passed," said Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon County.
The delay came as hundreds of parochial school students from across the state gathered at a Capitol rally, including about 400 from schools in the Diocese of Greensburg.
"What's always been done (in education) isn't working," Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley said as he whipped up the crowd. "We are all here to say we want our future back. We want school choice."
The school choice bill allows students to attend private or parochial schools of their choice with state-paid vouchers. Senate Republicans are projecting the cost of the program to be at least $328 million by 2013-14.
Sometimes, delays can mean a bill is in trouble, but Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Delaware County, told reporters there is "very strong support in our caucus for this bill."
It's not unprecedented for governors to visit caucus meetings of the House or Senate, but it happens rarely. Kevin Harley, Corbett's press secretary, declined to discuss what Corbett told GOP senators.
Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills, said one of the chief concerns about a voucher program would be its annual costs, which he said are higher than what the Republican majority is projecting. The third-year costs, for instance, are projected by Democratic analysts to be $385 million, and $250 million of that is "new money" the state wouldn't otherwise be spending, Costa said.
"They brought the governor into their caucus to try and ram it through," Costa said.
Part of the reason for the delay is that co-sponsor Sen. Anthony Williams, D-Philadelphia, is ill, Pileggi said. Pileggi also said there are proposals from Republicans and Democrats to "tweak" the bill.
"The substance of the bill would remain," Pileggi said.
In a statement on his web page, Williams said he is "recuperating from a medically necessary procedure." He said he had planned to vote from home. Senators are able to cast votes by proxy. But Pileggi said Republican senators were not comfortable with a proxy vote on such major legislation.
In the first year of the program, vouchers will be available to students from schools in the bottom 5 percent of student achievement as measured on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test.
In the second year, eligibility expands to low-income students living within failing schools' boundaries but attending private schools. In the third year, all low-income students would be eligible for vouchers.
Eligible families would have to meet income limits.
735 million are they nuts !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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