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Article published Apr 19, 2005
Tuition tax credit plan heads to House
COLUMBIA --
Call it a low-carb version of "Put Parents in Charge."A greatly trimmed-down
version of Gov. Mark Sanford's controversial tuition tax credit plan is headed
to the House floor after receiving the thumbs up from the Ways and Means
Committee Monday afternoon.By a 12-9 vote, the committee approved an amendment
that would roll out the program as a two-district pilot program. The state
Department of Education would choose one district with median income in the top
25 percent in the state and another district in the bottom 25 percent.The
amended bill also limits the amount of money that individuals and corporations
can donate to Scholarship Granting Organizations to $10,000. The original plan
placed no cap on the amount, for which donors receive a tax credit for 100
percent of the money.Rep. Ralph Davenport, R-Boiling Springs, voted to send the
bill to the full House. Rep. Lanny Littlejohn, R-Pacolet, voted against it.The
pilot plan follows Sanford's blueprint, which would allow families to claim tax
credits to cover costs of sending their children to private schools, another
public school or for home schooling.Families with less than $75,000 in taxable
income and two exemptions would be eligible for the credits. The income cap goes
up by $5,000 for each exemption.To have $75,000 in taxable income, a family
would have to earn more than $90,000.The SGOs would provide scholarships for
students from low-income families.Supporters and opponents of Sanford's plan
criticized the compromise."We're very happy that something is going to the
floor," said Denver Merrill, a spokesman for South Carolinians for Responsible
Government, a group that has been pushing Sanford's proposal. "But a pilot
program is something we've never been supportive of. The whole point is to offer
options to as many children as possible. This doesn't do that."Rep. Mike
Anthony, D-Union, an educator and former Union High School football coach, said
even a pilot program goes too far."I truly believe that once they get their foot
in the door they'll kick it in," Anthony said. "There's too much money at stake.
They'll take advantage of every situation they can."Will Folks, a Sanford
spokesman, said the governor would push to have "Put Parents in Charge"
reinstated as a statewide program when the debate shifts to the House
floor."This is a far cry from the kind of school choice that South Carolinians
deserve," Folks said.Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, offered an amendment
that would have made private schools that received public funds subject to the
same stringent accountability standards as public schools. But Rep. Lewis
Vaughn, R-Greer, said that private schools wouldn't accept that degree of
scrutiny and that Cobb-Hunter's amendment would kill the bill."You mean it's OK
for them to get public money but not to be accountable to the public?"
Cobb-Hunter asked.The amendment was defeated by a 13-6 vote.A proposal that
would have made "Put Parents in Charge" apply only to schools rated below
average or unsatisfactory, provided either a straight voucher or a tax credit
depending on income levels, and eliminated the SGOs failed when the committee
deadlocked at 11-11.Speaker Pro Tem Doug Smith, the primary sponsor of the
original bill, said he's pleased that the full House will now get a chance to
debate the bill."I'm glad it's going to the floor where everyone will get a
chance to talk about it and we'll have the opportunity to offer amendments,"
Smith said.Robert W. Dalton can be reached at 562-7274 or
bob.dalton@shj.com.