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It’s far more complicated than this

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Illinois

* WBEZ on why extending the Invest in Kids tax credit program failed…

What held lawmakers back?

This time, it was lobbying.

“The only reason this doesn’t get done is because there are very, very powerful special interests groups that don’t want it to happen,” said Wilhour. “You know, the Chicago Teachers Union, the Illinois Education Association.”

While that may seem incendiary, in this case, it’s true.

Dan Montgomery, president and chief operating officer of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, said teachers unions oppose programs like Invest in Kids because they think the annual $75 million should have been used for public education, instead of vouchers to remove kids from public school.

The teachers unions did indeed lobby hard against the extension. But as we’ve discussed before, the big money people funding the extension push absolutely refused to even consider a compromise.

* Proponents could’ve divided the opposition by agreeing to phasing out the program over time. Kids with scholarships would keep them until they graduated, for example. It’s a pretty easy argument to make and one that loads of Democrats were open to.

The benefit for proponents would be keeping the tax credit alive. The idea in situations like this is to find a way to live to fight another day.

Instead, both sides took an all-or-nothing stance and the side with the most votes won.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Oct 25, 24 @ 1:54 pm

Comments

Woof, journalism really is dead.

Comment by Woodstein Friday, Oct 25, 24 @ 2:13 pm
Rich’s analysis is spot on. I would add, a bill to save the program was never going to hit the board as long as Speaker Welch’s 60 Dem-vote rule was being enforced. Plenty of dems supported it, maybe even enough for it to get 71 votes during veto session considering all the Republicans were on board. But it never had anywhere near 60 Dems votes.

Comment by Sal Friday, Oct 25, 24 @ 2:39 pm
It seemed to work for a lot of Illinois children.
To bad for the kids in the program.
We should be following other states and sharply expanding choice programs.
Our current system is broken.

Comment by Back to the Future Friday, Oct 25, 24 @ 2:47 pm
Did you not read the post @Back to the Future? You must have been one of those all or nothing negotiators. Those kids in the program could have kept what they had.

Comment by Demoralized Friday, Oct 25, 24 @ 3:11 pm
You’ve been reporting on Springfield since 2011 and you’re going to go with Blaine Wilhour to explain what happened? Would no one else pick up the phone?

Comment by Excitable Boy Friday, Oct 25, 24 @ 3:14 pm
“To bad for the kids in the program.”

The program still exists, and anyone is free to contribute to it.

What ended, was the state supported tax credits which removed public dollars from the state budget.

It’s funny how those two things keep getting smashed together *in exactly the same way every time* in an attempt to construct a guilt-trip. Which ironically, is the most important thing I ever learned in a private school - how to detect and defuse guilt trips.

Also, it’s ‘Too bad’. Not ‘To bad’. Education is for more than just kids.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Friday, Oct 25, 24 @ 3:17 pm
The votes weren’t there to keep the program alive. Sure, it was popular with the parents using the program. But, this is Illinois. The voters don’t really care about this. They might in other states. But, not here. If you can’t get into a selective CPS school or afford a private school or move to the suburbs: your options are limited.

Comment by Steve Friday, Oct 25, 24 @ 3:26 pm
There was also negotiable compromise available on the level of tax relief for donors.
Still, the Welch hurdle of 60 Dems might not have been achievable.

Comment by Walker Friday, Oct 25, 24 @ 3:45 pm
=Welch’s 60 Dem-vote rule=

Good lobbying by Teachers Unions and other progressive groups?

Comment by Maria Friday, Oct 25, 24 @ 3:50 pm
Did read the post.
Actually am probably more of an “all” person, but would have been happy to see the kids in the program continue in it.
Thinking expanding choice programs is the best way to improve education in Illinois.

Comment by Back to the Future Friday, Oct 25, 24 @ 3:50 pm
Certainly a sad affair. I recently spoke with someone whose daughter was very upset that she was no longer going to be able to go to “her school.” Life isn’t fair…but it sure seems extra fair for the IEA and the CTU.

Comment by James Friday, Oct 25, 24 @ 3:53 pm
@Back to the future- Invest in Kids and voucher programs are not “choice programs”. They are a diversion of public dollars to private and parochial schools. That has been the case since some spin doctor figure out a way to market the idea that isn’t truthful.

The fact is people have always had a choice. Not only can they choose their public school district, they can also choose to go to private schools. People can move into any district they want and go to that public school. They can send their kids to private schools (like my parents did) and then pay for it. That is choice. What people want now is for others to pay or to get a tax break for sending kids to private schools. That is not “School Choice” it is subsidy.

Comment by JS Mill Friday, Oct 25, 24 @ 4:05 pm