HB1003 (voucher bill): Questions for Sen. Ron Grooms.

(Courtesy of Vic’s Statehouse Notes #83 – April 25, 2011)

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Dear Friends,

Thursday’s historic Senate vote on the voucher bill was not reported in the Indianapolis Star, Indiana’s largest newspaper.

An excellent letter to the editor by Susan Blackwell opposing vouchers was printed in Friday’s paper, but there was no report on the vote. More importantly, the public has not been informed that the first-ever “foot in the door” state tax benefit for home schools has been added to HB 1003, which already contained the monumental change to allow state funding for religious school tuition for the first time since the 1851 Constitution was written.

Apparently, the first step in the abandonment of public education in Indiana is not newsworthy to the editors of the Star.

Well, if you are not being kept informed by the paper, you still know all about HB 1003 if you are reading these notes. Please remember that the deal is not done. Since the voucher bill has not been finalized, I hope you are ready to contact your legislators today with these questions:

Questions for Members of the Senate -- Ron Grooms

If the House leaders decide to change the Senate version, the bill must go to a conference committee in the few days remaining in the session. Then the questions come back to the four Senators that made the difference in the close 28-22 vote last Thursday:

1) If the House removes Sen. Steele’s amendment requiring private schools to adhere to several laws regarding citizenship and patriotism and to submit to annual visits by the IDOE, will you change your support of the bill?

2) If the House removes Sen. Miller’s amendment to give a $3 million tax break to home school and private school parents, will you change your support of the bill?

House and Senate leaders have only a few days to settle these questions.

I urge you to keep asking your questions in support of public education in the waning days of this session. Don’t leave these final maneuvers to the “insiders” acting in vacuum. Many things could still change on the final version of the voucher bill. Let your voice be heard with e-mails, phone calls, and letters to the editor as the final version of the most important education bill of our generation is finalized.