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LEGISLATION AND LITIGATION National The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments April 19 in Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer, a case arising out of Missouri that could remove a major impediment to educational choice found in many state constitutions. So-called “Blaine Amendments” have restrictive language about state funds being used by religious institutions, […]
LEGISLATION AND LITIGATION Alabama The Alabama Senate passed SB 123, a bill sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore Del Marsh that would expand the tax credits available through the state’s Education Scholarship Program. The bill is currently before the House Ways and Means Education Committee. Arizona SB 1431, a bill that would expand the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts to near-universal eligibility, […]
Legislators in Arkansas proposed a bill (HB 1222) to increase educational choice for families through an education savings account (ESA) program available to every child across the state. And though the previously conducted empirical studies on the financial effects of private school choice programs have found overall benefits to the state, taxpayers and individual districts, […]
Arkansas is on its way to becoming a natural, actual, real, authentical educational choice lovin’ state. Just like Johnny Cash’s song character Joe Bean, I’ve never been to Arkansas. Growing up, my limited knowledge of Arkansas centered on a sunglasses-wearing, saxophone-blowing Bill Clinton. However, I got older and learned more about the Natural State, especially […]
LEGISLATION AND LITIGATION Arkansas – Brittany Corona @BrittanyLCorona Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed the state’s 2016–17 budget in June, which included funding for the Succeed Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities, a statewide school voucher program for public school students with special needs and active-duty military families. The Reform Alliance is continuing its work with the Arkansas Department […]
LEGISLATION AND LITIGATION Arizona – Michael Chartier @mchart1 The Arizona Auditor General released a performance audit on the nation’s first education savings accounts (ESAs): Empowerment Scholarship Accounts. The auditor’s main findings were that the Arizona Department of Education established methods for distributing the accounts and found a way to prevent and resolve fraud. Visit the Goldwater Institute’s […]
LEGISLATION AND LITIGATION Arizona – Michael Chartier @mchart1 The Arizona legislature expanded the states education savings account (ESA) program by making children who are legally blind and/or deaf or hard of hearing eligible. The state also opened the ESA program to a year-round application window. Arkansas – Brittany Corona @BrittanyLCorona Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed on May 9 the state’s 2016–17 budget, […]
Arizona – Michael Chartier @mchart1 The House Appropriations Committee amended SB 1279, formerly a bill for a phase-in universal education savings account (ESA) program, to include only those children who qualify for the federal free and reduced-price lunch program. The amended bill must now pass a vote on the House floor. Kansas – Michael […]
Best 1. Nevada enacted two educational choice programs. We predicted in 2014 that Nevada would be the state “most likely to succeed” in becoming a new school choice state in 2015. We were right, but Nevada’s success far exceeded our expectations. The state passed not one, but two educational choice programs. It became the 26th […]
Arkansas – Brittany Corona @BrittanyLCorona On April 8, Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed Arkansas’ first school choice program into law, making it the 25th state (plus Washington D.C.) to enact a private school choice program. The signature of HB 1552 created the Succeed Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities, which allows students who have attended public school […]