By Lynn Hatter
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-897891.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – Lawmakers temporarily put aside their bickering Thursday to join Governor Charlie Crist in signing a $22-million expansion of the Corporate Tax Scholarship Program, commonly called school vouchers.
It was an increasingly rare sight in the Governor's Conference Room, Republicans standing by Governor Crist in support of a bill. Since Crist vetoed the controversial teacher pay and tenure bill, party members have been backing away from him, but not on Thursday. The governor praised fellow lawmakers for their work on the voucher legislation, where just a week ago he called the Legislature itself an "asylum".
"I think today was a great day for Florida. I think that this legislation is exactly what we need to be doing; focused on education in a positive way that really supports teachers and students and parents, and that's why I was very happy to sign this bill today."
Supporters of the voucher program are grateful, too. Right now, over 27-thousand students are going to private schools using dollars from the Corporate Tax Scholarship Program. Those scholarships are funded by businesses, which receive tax credits if they donate to the fund. Republican Senator Joe Negron of Port Saint Lucie sponsored the bill in the Senate.
"It puts parents in charge of making the best decisions for their children, and as I look around and see young men and women, and see parents and community leaders, it makes sure they get to decide. I'm not crazy about people that want to substitute their judgment for my life. People say well, we don't like this program because it takes away money from public schools.' It doesn't take away money from public schools. It actually saves us money."
That savings is about $22-million. The legislation would increase the cap on the amount of money that can go into the fund to $140-million next year and climbing even higher in the future. Today, those scholarships are worth about $39-hundred each. But that would increase each year until they hit about eighty-percent of what the state currently spends on public school students. Opponents of the program have long said it takes money away from those public schools, while supporters say the program saves money. Florida TaxWatch's Robert Weissert says both sides are looking at the same set of numbers and drawing different conclusions.
"So, there is less revenue where there are less expenditures. The difference is, by using this scholarship we can actually provide the education at a cheaper rate. So the state loses a little money but has to spend even less money. So the net to the state is a positive."
So yes, the state loses out on money that could have gone into the general revenue fund. But since it's spending less, it still saves. During the signing ceremony, several Democrats stood alongside the governor, like Senate Minority Leader Al Lawson of Tallahassee.
"I have been a big proponent of educational advancement for our young people for the past twenty-eight years. I've had the opportunity to see many reforms that we have adopted in the Legislature. But this focus has primarily been on the parents and giving kids the opportunity."
House Sponsor Representative Will Weatherford of Wesley Chapel called the legislation an exercise in bipartisanship.
"Thank you, Governor. I think it's very obvious when you look to our left and to our right, this is truly a bipartisan issue, and this issue has come a long way."
The Corporate Tax legislation comes at a time when state political leaders are drifting further and further apart.