Democrats put politics ahead of kids in school choice fight |
In 2025, the Republican-led One Big Beautiful Bill Act created a federal school choice tax credit program – the first of its kind.
The program allows states and Washington, DC, to opt in. Governors can make that decision on their own, though legislatures can also step in.
So far, 30 states say they plan to participate, including five with Democratic governors (though in Kansas and Kentucky, Republican legislatures effectively forced their governors’ hands).
Despite the program’s popularity – and flexibility – Democrats in Congress are trying to kill it before it gets off the ground in 2027.
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono are leading the effort, joined by about 30 colleagues. On April 15, they introduced the “Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act.”
The name is misleading. Supporters of the bill portray the tax-credit scholarships as “vouchers,” even though no federal funds are directly appropriated. Nor would the state and local dollars that primarily fund public schools be affected.
Instead, the scholarships would be funded through private donations to nonprofit organizations, with contributors eligible for a federal........