Backers of a controversial private school tuition tax credit are swamping State House phone lines in an aggressive effort to revive the proposal.

The tax credit bill is stuck in committee, but Gov. Mark Sanford, school choice supporters and some legislators are trying to pull it out and make House members debate it this year.

“The public deserves to hear what the issues are,” said Rep. Lewis Vaughn, R-Greenville, a longtime school choice advocate. “It would benefit the state to have that out there being talked about.”

The proposal, dubbed “Put Parents in Charge,” would give tax credits to middle- and low-income parents who want to send their children to private school.

Supporters say competition would give parents more choices and push public schools to improve. Opponents call it a “back-door voucher program” that would drain money from already underfunded public schools.

The issue has become one of the most controversial this year, and it is heating up again — even though supporters are quickly running out of time before the Legislature adjourns June 3.

Receptionists at the Blatt Building, where House members’ offices are, say they’ve taken dozens and dozens of calls — many more than normal — in the last few days from tax credit advocates.

“I don’t know who’s running the phone bank, but they’re doing a good job,” said Rep. Harry Cato, R-Greenville.

BIPARTISAN OPPOSITION

Two weeks ago, about 500 people crammed legislative hallways for a public hearing on the bill. Shortly after, Ways and Means Committee members decided to further study the issue and not pass the bill to the full House.

Democrats and public school advocates are furious about the effort to revive the bill, which is one of several proposed this year that they say would undermine the public schools. They say the state first should focus on fully funding the public schools as required by law.

“It’s the wrong idea at the wrong time,” said Rep. Joel Lourie, D-Richland.

But several Republicans also want to prevent a public debate about tax credits this year.

Many support the concept but want to change the proposal to require more accountability from private schools.

Some also see the issue as a political hot potato and fear that taking any position could burn them in this fall’s election, especially since there’s almost no chance to get it through the Senate this year.

“It puts somebody in a lose-lose situation,” said Rep. Skipper Perry, R-Aiken.

Despite that reluctance, tax credit backers — and opponents — are pushing hard.

Sanford, during a Thursday news conference, called out by name Ways and Means chairman Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, urging him to move the bill out of committee.

Both sides have run e-mail, fax and phone campaigns, legislators say. For awhile, the tax credit opponents were louder, lawmakers said. But recently, the supporters are dominating the calls.

‘I’M RESENTING EVERY ONE’

In the last few days, most calls have been generated by an out-of-state phone bank run by a pro-tax credit group. The huge number of calls and the mystery about who is behind them has had legislators buzzing.

It’s getting irritating, some say.

“I’m getting flooded with calls, and I’m resenting every one,” said Rep. John Graham Altman, R-Charleston, a co-sponsor of the tax credit bill, who favors vouchers. “That’s mindless, form-letter-type advocacy. It’s a self-defeating policy for a group to do that.”

Bill Wilson, a Virginia-based consultant with the pro-tax credit organization Legislative Education Action Drive, said he helped a local group set up the phone bank. Wilson said he worked on the effort with South Carolinians for Responsible Government, which also supports tax credits.

South Carolinians for Responsible Government ran another phone campaign about three weeks ago on the issue. The calls then featured a message taped by Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer.

The latest phone campaign patches supporters of the tax credit directly to their representatives’ offices.

House members say many of the callers know little about the bill or the issue except what they were told by the phone bankers. Lawmakers said they could hear a voice in the background prompting some callers to say specific things about the bill.

Wilson said how long the phone bank lasts is “up to Bobby Harrell.”

Harrell, who holds great influence over what bills the Ways and Means Committee acts on, said he doesn’t know yet what the committee will do.

‘DO WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS FAIR’

This isn’t the first phone campaign on the issue. Tax credit opponents are using similar efforts, though none directly connects citizens with legislators.

The S.C. School Boards Association has a phone tree set up through which opponents of tax credits contact legislators. The S.C. Education Association also has asked opponents of the bill to call legislators and Sanford’s office.

Rep. JoAnne Gilham, R-Beaufort, may be the most-targeted lawmaker. She said she’s taken at least 75 calls, e-mails, faxes and letters from both sides of the issue. She’s trying to return every message in which the caller left a number.

She said some callers have been knowledgeable about tax credits. But others have thought the phone bank was a kind of poll run by legislators. Another caller opposed the tax credit and was furious about the phone bank.

One said: “Do what you believe is fair, and I’ll be satisfied.”

Gilham liked that one best.

Reach Talhelm at (803) 771-8339 or jtalhelm@thestate.com