Saturday, March 10, 2007

News-Leader offers rose to Missouri House

In the weekly "Roses and Thorns" feature in its opinion section, the Springfield News-Leader offers a richly-deserved "rose" to the Missouri House of Representatives for his sound defeat of Rep. Carl Bearden's tuition tax credit (more accurately a welcome to vouchers) bill:

A ROSE: To the Missouri House for soundly defeating a proposed tax-credit scholarship bill that would have shifted money from the state budget to private schools. The back-door voucher proposal was a poorly conceived attempt to improve inner-city schools. That hard work still remains.


Voters in this area should not forget that this slap in the face to public schools was co-sponsored by four area representatives- Ed Emery, R-Lamar, Steve Hunter, R-Joplin, Marilyn Ruestman, R-Joplin, and Bryan Stevenson, R-Webb City. Those four, plus Rep. Ron Richard, R-Joplin, voted in favor of the bill. The only area representative on the winning side of the vote was Kevin Wilson, R-Neosho.

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:25 AM

    Randy- If you had read the bill you would know it is NOT a voucher bill. In fact no state money goes into it at ALL. Know your facts before you start bashing our local officials.

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  2. There is absolutely no doubt it is a voucher bill. This same tactic has been used in other states as a way of opening the door for vouchers. Giving it an impressive name like tuition tax credits does not make into anything except what it is..a voucher bill.

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