Voucher Loophole an "Ironic Twist" to Bill Sponsor
None by KCPW
(KCPW News) A legal loophole may keep school vouchers on the books, despite a public referendum. And it all hinges on a bill passed by lawmakers as a "clean-up" to the original measure. Opponents filed a referendum on the original measure but can't challenge the clean up version because it was supported by a referendum-proof majority of lawmakers - including Representative Brad Last who sponsored it:"It's an interesing twist and kind of ironic that it happened because of a bill I was running in large part to help the education community," says Last. "They came to me after the voucher bill passed and said 'Hey will you help us with these amendments to make it a little more palatable?'"
Representative Last long opposed vouchers but says this year he decided the proposal deserved his support. Because his clean-up bill included large portions of the original bill, legislative attorneys say vouchers will stay on the books despite the outcome of a referendum. Had they known his clean-up measure would lead to such a loophole, many voucher opponents at the Legislature would probably not have supported it, admits Last.
"I'm still very supportive of seeing this voucher system through," says Last. "I'm kind of amused by the referendum, but I don't necessarily feel bad about it. I suppose there are some lawmakers who wish they hadn't voted for the amendments."
Last's bill did not include any money to fund vouchers, so if opponents succeed in overturning the program with a referendum, it will only stall the system until lawmakers reconvene next year or in special session to appropriate the money. Referendum organizers say they are moving forward with plans to collect signatures and put vouchers on the ballot.
Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom, Legislative Coverage, and 2007 Legislative Coverage. Copyright 2008 KCPW
1. Tom Nedreberg said:
So if the referendum passes and it's on the ballot and then the people decide they don't want vouchers, then the legislature can fall back on the "Clean Up Voucher Bill" and call a special session to fund it. I wonder how many legislatures would vote to fund it after the people had made their wishes know on the referendum. Maybe some of them would think it to great a political risk to actually openly go against the will of the majority of people and the "Clean Up Voucher Bill" would be left unfunded. To me that would be great because then the richest voucher proposal in the nation would then become partners with the most underfunded Public Education system in the nation.
3. Israel said:
The public schools will not lose any money in this deal. It will merely allow parents to choose alternatives to the public schools, if they so desire. In a nation founded on freedom, why would anyone deny parents the freedom to choose the school that best meets the needs of their children? The only reason to vote down this program is to maintain the monopoly that now exists.
2. Helene Byington said:
This needs to go before all the Utans for voting. This is much to critical for just legislators to make a decision on. Many of the people I have talked with are not even aware of what has happened. Utah is last in the nation on expenditures per student, and yet out students test scores are about 13 in the nation. That means to me that hundreds of public school teachers are working very hard to make up the difference. Because of large class rooms and low pay, teachers are leaving education. If we can pull millions of dollars out of a hat, it should be to fund public education; the education system that 95% of the Utah school children are a part of.