Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on February 19, 2025
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The Senate on Wednesday narrowly approved a plan to spend $50 million on refundable tax credits for private education expenses, sending House Bill 93 to the governor.
Senators debated the divisive proposal for more than two hours before approving it by a 20-15 vote. Twenty Republicans supported it while nine GOP senators joined six Democrats in opposition.
HB 93 already cleared the House, and Gov. Brad Little’s signature is the final hurdle before the legislation becomes law. Little hasn’t publicly shared his views on this bill. But last month he promised to support a $50 million private school choice bill that’s “fair, responsible, transparent and accountable” and doesn’t take money away from public schools.
If Little approves of HB 93, non-public school students would be able to claim a refundable tax credit worth up to $5,000. Students with special needs could claim $7,500.
“Parental school choice is first and foremost about kids and families,” said co-sponsor and Senate Majority Leader Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian. “It’s not about the type of school or the type of system.”
Wednesday’s vote marks the first time the Legislature has passed a private school choice bill offering state funds for K-12 tuition, after years of advocacy led by Den Hartog and Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls. Supporters celebrated the successful vote.
“Families win,” Mountain States Policy Center President Chris Cargill said in a news release. “Lawmakers have seen the research and have responded in a historic way.”
The Idaho Education Association, on the other hand, called the bill’s passage “a huge step backward for Idaho’s students and public schools.” The teachers’ union has fervently opposed legislation directing public funds to private schooling.
“This bill was not ‘done the Idaho way,’ as Gov. Little called for during his State of the State address,” IEA President Layne McInelly said in a news release. “Instead, lawmakers gave Idahoans legislation cut-and-pasted from other states by out-of-state lobbyists backed by billionaires who want to plunder Idaho’s public school budget for their own profit.”
