| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
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| Date: From: Subject: | 5/24/2002 6:15:02 PM Scott W. Somerville, Esq., Staff Attorney of HSLDA Louisiana: Committee to Vote Wednesday on H.B. 43 |
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- May 24, 2002 Dear Louisiana Members and Friends, Six weeks ago, I called home school leaders in Louisiana to tell them about the best school choice legislation I have ever seen. House Bill 43 provides for "scholarship/educational assistance tax credits," which allow ordinary families to set up scholarship funds for children who are trapped in failing schools. Unlike voucher programs, which give the government the power to control private education, H.B. 43 provides for real educational choice without government strings. Over the last few weeks, supporters of H.B. 43 have kept us posted on the status of the bill. Both Democrats and Republicans have been supportive, and it is now before the House Ways and Means Committee, which must approve any tax legislation. This committee should vote on the measure Wednesday. This morning I received an urgent phone call from one of the chief supporters of the bill. He told me the Louisiana teachers associations and unions have mobilized their lobbyists to oppose H.B. 43. Legislators who had previously said they would support the bill are suddenly coming under pressure. Even though this legislation does not reduce state education appropriations by one penny, the teachers' union is out to kill it. This is good legislation, which will provide real choices for needy children. We can't let the teachers unions scuttle this bill. It is time for home schoolers to go to work. REQUESTED ACTION Please call your own representative and each of the following selected members of the House Ways and Means Committee and urge them to vote for H.B. 43. (Since this is Memorial Day weekend, most district offices will be closed. Please start calling on Tuesday morning!) Three reasons to support H.B. 43 are: (1) Scholarship/educational assistance tax credits help needy children get a better education. (2) Scholarship/educational assistance tax credits raise more money for education without raising taxes. (3) Voters support scholarship/educational assistance tax credits, regardless of their race, religion, or party affiliation. Find your state legislator using our "legislative toolbox" at http://www.hslda.org/toolbox/?State=LA. SELECTED WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE MEMBERS Vice-Chair: Sydnie Mae M. Durand, District 46 (Parks) 337-845-4240 John A. Alario, Jr., District 83 (Westwego) 504-340-2221 Carla Blanchard Dartez, District 51 (Morgan City) 985-385-7019 Rick Farrar, District 27 (Pineville) 318-484-2210 Alexander "Alex" Heaton, District 95 (New Orleans) 504-483-4235 Herman Ray Hill, District 32 (Dry Creek) 800-259-2118 Mitch Landrieu, District 89 (New Orleans) 504-568-5750 Kenneth L. Odinet, Sr., District 103 (Arabi) 504-361-6685 T. Taylor Townsend, District 23 (Natchitoches) 318-357-7048 After calling your own representative and these select members of the Ways and Means Committee, please take the time to call Senator Robert Barham, at 318-244-6583, to thank him for his continued leadership and support for Senate Bill 15, similar legislation in the Senate. BACKGROUND House Bill 43 creates a "scholarship/educational assistance tax credit" (SEATC) that allows you to redirect your taxes to private education instead of government schools. H.B. 43 allows scholarship funds to collect private donations and then use that money to provide scholarships for needy children. Each time a Louisiana taxpayer donates a dollar to one of these scholarship funds, he saves 70 cents on his state income tax. Tax legislation can be confusing unless you use examples. Let's consider the Smith family. The Smiths expect to pay $700 in state income taxes this year. The Smiths start a scholarship fund to help some of the poor children, handicapped children, and single parents that they know. With a little help from the A Choice for Every Child Foundation (see their website at http://www.scholarshiptaxcredit.com/beginafoundation.html), the Smiths start the "Lafayette Scholarship Fund." The Smiths make a $1000 donation to the fund, and then they share their vision with friends and neighbors. They aren't professional fundraisers, but they still manage to collect a total of $3500. That is the maximum that any one child could receive as a scholarship (unless the child has special needs). Instead of just helping one child, however, the scholarship fund s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s that money enough to help two children afford a private schools. They give $2000 to one family and $1500 to another. This isn't quite what these schools charge, but the parents of those children pay some of the tuition themselves. When tax time comes, the Smiths can claim a credit for 70% of the $1000 they donated. That credit pays off their entire $700 tax bill! The tax credit means that Louisiana does not collect $2450 in taxes (70% of the entire $3500 in the fund), but it saves more than $10,000 in per-pupil costs for the two students who are now in private schools. In this example, every $1 of tax credit buys $4 worth of education! Once voters understand how scholarship/educational assistance tax credits work, they like them. According to polls, some 77% of registered Republicans and 82% of registered Democrats favor tax- credits for donations to scholarship organizations that help children in need. Taxpayers like them because they save money. People who worry about the "separation of church and state" like them because they never use state money for religious instruction. Home schoolers like them because they open up educational options. Scholarship/educational assistance tax credits provide real choices for real children. H.B. 43 has a real chance of passing the House Ways and Means Committee next week--unless the teachers' union kills it. Please ask the committee to help children and families by voting for H.B. 43! Scott W. Somerville, Esq. HSLDA Staff Attorney {{JoinAd}} ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. 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