If you could do something to keep your property taxes from rising, would you? HB20, coming up for a vote this week in our state house, will change the course of how property taxes will be spent. Taxes, meant for our public school system, will be tapped to be dispersed to private, religious and charter schools. This money will be drawn from the public school state budget. If this is allowed to go through it becomes inevitable that the shortfall for keeping public schools open will come from raising property taxes. It is that dire.
We must shower our state representatives with our strong opinions on this subject. Generally, the republicans think this is a great idea. The governor, who sends his own children to religious school, and the education secretary who home schools, are all for it. If we, particularly those of us who are represented by republicans, can get the message to them that a vote for this bill puts their next election in jeopardy, they may well listen. We need to let our democrats know we support them to vote against this bill as well.
This subject, vouchers, has been a favorite of republicans for decades. It has been fought back vote after vote. The problem, of course, is that elections have consequences and this is a huge consequence of the November vote. We are clearly in danger of having this bill passed. Let’s all write that email, make that call, express your disgust with the concept of using public school funding for alternate ideas of educating our youth.
Please take an hour this afternoon and attend the emergency forum on school district defunding. It is critical that we do all we can to keep this Betsy Devos-like idea never see the light of day.
This is definitely our last email as the “ann-and-barbie show”. We pass the baton tomorrow!
- Linda Tanner, House Education Committee, HB 20, register your opposition!
- January 31, 4 – 5 PM Eastern Time, Emergency Forum on School District Defunding & HB20
- February 1, 6.30 PM UVDems Caucus
- February 4, Network For Public Education
Fighting Voucher Legislation workshop - How to register to support or oppose a House or Senate bill
- Support your town/city warrant on fair, non partisan, transparent, redistricting!