House Bill 100: Tax Credit

Author:
Joint Committee on Finance

Summary:
An Act relating to: state finances and appropriations, constituting the executive budget act of the 2005 legislature. The bill has been amended by Senator Tom Reynolds (Senate Amendment 50), which would grant a $100 tax credit per child to homeschooled and private schooled students.

Status:

07/05/2005		(H) ACTION ORDERED IMMEDIATELY MESSAGED
07/05/2005		(H) SENATE AMENDMENT 50 CONCURRED IN, AYES 52, NOES 43, PAIRED 4
07/05/2005		(H) REFUSED TO TABLE SENATE AMENDMENT 50, AYES 41, NOES 55 .
07/05/2005		(H) REFUSED TO NONCONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENT 50, AYES 43, NOES 53 .
07/05/2005		(H) RECEIVED FROM SENATE AMENDED AND CONCURRED IN AS AMENDED (SENATE AMENDMENTS 19, 29, AND 50 ADOPTED)
06/30/2005		(S) ORDERED IMMEDIATELY MESSAGED
06/30/2005		(S) READ A THIRD TIME AND CONCURRED IN, AYES 17, NOES 16 .
06/30/2005		(S) RULES SUSPENDED
06/30/2005		(S) ORDERED TO A THIRD READING
06/30/2005		(S) SENATE AMENDMENT 50 ADOPTED, AYES 19, NOES 14 .
06/21/2005		(H) ORDERED IMMEDIATELY MESSAGED
06/21/2005		(H) READ A THIRD TIME AND PASSED, AYES 56, NOES 40 .
06/21/2005		(H) RULES SUSPENDED
06/21/2005		(H) ORDERED TO A THIRD READING
06/09/2005		(H) EXECUTIVE ACTION TAKEN
03/17/2005		(H) PUBLIC HEARING HELD
02/09/2005		(H) READ FIRST TIME AND REFERRED TO JOINT SURVEY COMMITTEE ON TAX EXEMPTIONS
02/09/2005		(H) READ FIRST TIME AND REFERRED TO JOINT COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
02/09/2005		(H) INTRODUCED BY JOINT COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, BY REQUEST OF GOVERNOR JIM DOYLE
07/26/2005		GOVERNOR PARTIALLY VETOED BILL (VETOED AMENDMENT 50)

Action Requested:
Please call Governor Doyle and give him this message:

"Please sign the $100 tax credit for homeschool families in the budget bill. It will empower parents to choose the best education for their children."

Governor Doyle can be reached by phone at: (608) 266-1212 or email at: http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/contact.asp. You can send letters to:

Office of Governor Doyle
State Capitol
115 East
Madison, WI 53702

Background:
Homeschoolers currently pay for the public education system, while they privately educate their own children. This double taxation is unfair. While almost all homeschoolers would like to be free of the tax burden of public schools, they do not use themselves some are concerned about any effort to obtain benefits from the government. Everyone agrees that vouchers (direct payments from the government to private or homeschools) are unacceptable because of the controls and loss of freedom that comes with the money.

As an alternative, HSLDA recommends another vehicle: educational tax credits. Parents and individuals who provide their child's education should be allowed to keep some of their tax money that would otherwise have been used to fund public education. This goal can be accomplished through a tax credit. Click on the link below for more information on HSLDA's view regarding tax credits: http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/Issues/E/EducationTaxCredit_State.asp

Some are concerned that this $100 tax credit will be required of all. This is not the case. It is a voluntary tax credit. If a family wants to save $100, they can. If they don't want to, they can still pay their $100 tax to the government. In addition, no changes can be made to the homeschool notice of intent form, unless a separate legislative act is passed.

Like the homeschool law in Wisconsin, the $100 tax credit, will require constant monitoring to make sure no conditions are added in the future. HSLDA carefully watches the current homeschool laws across the nation to make sure legislatures do not add regulatory burdens to homeschool families.

Thank you for your support.

HSLDA's Position:
Supported

Other Resources

Bill Text