| 'Put Parents in Charge' Could be Dead |
| (Columbia) - Is Governor Mark Sanford's
tuition tax credit plan dead at the State House? It looks that way
after a new study looked at how much it would cost the
state. The plan would give state tax credits to families to send their children to private school, another public school or home school. A study by the Board of Economic Advisors says it would cost the state more than half-a-billion dollars over five years. Even co-sponsors of the bill are having second thoughts. "The question now is, can you afford something like this?" said Florence Rep. Jim McGee. "And I think that's a legitimate question. As a lawmaker, you're responsible to make revenue decisions and this should cause people to look twice at it, I believe. And I know I will." McGee is on the Ways and Means committee and is studying the bill. "You know, we use terms like, 'It created a buzz." Well, this is like somebody took a stick and whacked a beehive, and the bees are just floating out there." He says the committee is in disarray after "this very large price tag that appeared on this Put Parents in Charge" bill. News19's Robert Kittle personally polled all 25 members of the House Ways and Means committee Wednesday, and 20 of the 25 say they would vote against the governor's act as it stands now. Some of those say they would vote for an amended version, but even with a major change, it might not have enough votes to get out of committee. Even though McGee and Rep. Shirley Hinson are co-sponsors, they're two that won't vote for the current plan either. "It has to be amended," Hinson says. "I don't think it would stand a chance of getting out of committee without some amendments, definitely." One of those amendments is McGee's. It would apply only to parents of children in failing schools and it would give outright vouchers of about $3200 instead of tax credits. So what does the Governor think of the fact that his plan appears dead? Spokesman Will Folks says, "We're obviously early in the legislative process, but the Governor is going to continue to push for as many additional choices for as many parents as he possibly can." |