* Chicago Tribune editorial board…

We’re still wondering whether Gov. JB Pritzker will opt into a new federal school choice program, and we know we’re not alone. The governor’s public messaging has ranged from bashing the program (and the president) to saying he just needs more time to consider the facts.

While he tries to buy more time, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office is now saying the governor is “supportive of the federal tax credit scholarship and its potential to help New York students and schools,” Chalkbeat reported last week. A Hochul spokesperson did tell Chalkbeat that they’re still waiting for information from the federal government on the full program details, and the Treasury Department reportedly is working on program guidelines ahead of the Jan. 1, 2027, deadline for states to opt in.

Signaling support isn’t the same thing as signing on the dotted line, but going on the record in this manner is a big deal, especially in a blue state. Hochul’s team surely understood the governor was opening herself up to attacks and a coordinated effort from teachers unions to stop her from making good on her support.

We view her positioning as cautious and courageous acceptance. Pritzker’s stance conveys mostly skepticism.

This is a semantics argument.

* New York Daily News…

Other Democratic governors, including Hochul, have said they are waiting on more information from the federal government before formally opting in, including if the dollars can be used to the benefit of public schools.

“I want to see what the regulations look like,” Hochul said at the news conference. “Because if it says something that’s detrimental to public schools — for example, saying none of this money can be used for a public school — that’s a big issue for me. That’s a big issue.”

The governor even suggested that teachers unions could become scholarship-granting nonprofits, though it’s unclear if labor organizations would meet federal statutory requirements for the tax-credit program. The program was billed by the Trump administration as an effort to promote school choice through what officials have dubbed the “Education Freedom Tax Credit.”

Nowhere in the Tribune editorial is Hochul’s actual stance explained.

There’s really no wisdom in opting-in until you see the fine print. But give Hochul credit for pointing the way toward gaining her support.