***See Updates at Bottom of Page***
The Louisiana Legislature is currently in a Special Session designed to either raise revenue, choose budget cuts, or do both in order to fund our state government for the remainder of the fiscal year (July) due to another budget shortfall.
HB 3, a supplemental spending bill, was under consideration in the House on Friday (2/17) and contained a $6,000,000 cut to the state's controversial Voucher Program (Louisiana Student Scholarship for Excellence In Education Program--bill has since been amended by the Senate on 2/19 to read: Louisiana Student Scholarship for Educational Excellence Program).
Such a cut would begin to release the state’s stranglehold on our nonpublic institutions and, more importantly, signal an end to our state government's hostile takeover of private education in Louisiana!
Unfortunately, Rep. Landry introduced an amendment (#140) which passed the house and restored the funding while also taking any cuts to the Voucher Program completely off the table.
For those unfamiliar with the Voucher Program, it is the taxpayer funding of tuition for a student at a non-public (private) school. While many legislators/special interests want us to believe that the vouchers are simply a way for students to receive private school educations when their parents cannot afford it, the reality has proven to be far from simple and far from charitable.
Since students attending private schools on vouchers must pass the same standardized tests as in the public schools; and, since the private schools accepting the vouchers receive letter grades based on the students’ performances on the tests just as the public schools do, the private schools must teach to the same standards/tests with similar/same curricula as the public schools; thus, eliminating any real "choice" in schools and education.
Every time this happens, private school, tuition-paying students are no longer getting the education their parents chose for them. Instead, they are getting the education the state has chosen for them.
Every time this happens, the voucher students are receiving the same education they would have received had they remained in the public schools--which is not how the program is sold to their parents.
THE HOSTILE TAKEOVER
As our legislators continue to adversely affect our economy and bank accounts with their never ending taxing and spending (rather than cutting both taxes and spending), more private schools are bending to accepting the vouchers in order to fill their gaps in tuition.
This equates to the Hostile Takeover of Private Education in Louisiana.
The Louisiana Legislature is currently in a Special Session designed to either raise revenue, choose budget cuts, or do both in order to fund our state government for the remainder of the fiscal year (July) due to another budget shortfall.
HB 3, a supplemental spending bill, was under consideration in the House on Friday (2/17) and contained a $6,000,000 cut to the state's controversial Voucher Program (Louisiana Student Scholarship for Excellence In Education Program--bill has since been amended by the Senate on 2/19 to read: Louisiana Student Scholarship for Educational Excellence Program).
Such a cut would begin to release the state’s stranglehold on our nonpublic institutions and, more importantly, signal an end to our state government's hostile takeover of private education in Louisiana!
Unfortunately, Rep. Landry introduced an amendment (#140) which passed the house and restored the funding while also taking any cuts to the Voucher Program completely off the table.
For those unfamiliar with the Voucher Program, it is the taxpayer funding of tuition for a student at a non-public (private) school. While many legislators/special interests want us to believe that the vouchers are simply a way for students to receive private school educations when their parents cannot afford it, the reality has proven to be far from simple and far from charitable.
Since students attending private schools on vouchers must pass the same standardized tests as in the public schools; and, since the private schools accepting the vouchers receive letter grades based on the students’ performances on the tests just as the public schools do, the private schools must teach to the same standards/tests with similar/same curricula as the public schools; thus, eliminating any real "choice" in schools and education.
Every time this happens, private school, tuition-paying students are no longer getting the education their parents chose for them. Instead, they are getting the education the state has chosen for them.
Every time this happens, the voucher students are receiving the same education they would have received had they remained in the public schools--which is not how the program is sold to their parents.
THE HOSTILE TAKEOVER
As our legislators continue to adversely affect our economy and bank accounts with their never ending taxing and spending (rather than cutting both taxes and spending), more private schools are bending to accepting the vouchers in order to fill their gaps in tuition.
This equates to the Hostile Takeover of Private Education in Louisiana.
HB 3 included a step in the right direction when it cut $6,000,000 dollars to the “Nonpublic Educational Assistance” which funds the Louisiana Student Scholarship for Excellence in Education Program.
Unfortunately, our “conservative” House of Representatives which is overrun with people claiming to value private education voted for Rep. Landry’s amendment which not only restored the Voucher Program funding, but also declared voucher funding to be off the table for ANY cuts.
(The voucher funding options are in the screenshot below: Louisiana Student Scholarship for Excellence in Education Program, Louisiana’s Quality Education Support Fund, federal funds for the foregoing activities)
The bill is now in the Senate. Please call your senator and tell them to completely remove the voucher funding from our budget.
With the continued expansion of Charter Schools, Voucher Funding, and Unconstitutional Attempts at Regulating Homeschools, our fight for preserving private education must begin here.
***Interesting to note: of the 3 candidates for Treasurer who are also current state legislators (and who claim they will properly manage our tax dollars if given the chance), Rep. Schroder and Rep. Stokes each voted for the Landry Amendment to restore and hold sacred the Voucher Funding.
You just can't make-up this stuff...
UPDATE: 7:00 PM on Feb. 21st - House conference committee members have been appointed: Reps. Cameron Henry, Patricia Smith and Taylor Barras. Click on their names for their office emails & phone numbers. Also, leave a message for them on the House Switchboard 225-342-6945 Please Contact these Representatives and Ask Them To Cut ALL Funding To The Voucher Program.
UPDATE: 9:30 PM on Feb 20th - HB3 is headed to Conference Committee as the House failed to concur on the Senate amendments. Please contact Rep. Cameron Henry and ask him to cut ALL funding to the voucher program. As the author of HB 3 & the Chair of Appropriations, we can expect that he will be on the committee:
Phone: (504)838-5433
Fax: (504)838-5435
[email protected]
You can also leave a message for Rep. Henry with the House switchboard:
225-342-6945.
Since the assignment of Conference Committee members from the House and Senate has not yet been announced. We will update with the members and their contact info when they are announced.
Membership will be decided as follows:
Rule 6.14. Conference committees; membership; appointment
A. Conference committee appointees from the House of Representatives shall be the following: (1) The member who authored or handled the bill or resolution, or in his absence, a member appointed by the Speaker; (2) The chairman of the committee that reported the bill or resolution, or in his absence, the vice chairman of such committee, or in the absence of the chairman and vice chairman, a member appointed by the Speaker from among the members of such committee; and (3) One member appointed by the Speaker.
Rule 13.21. Conference Committees; membership
The Senate membership of each Conference Committee shall be three senators appointed by President.
Phone: (504)838-5433
Fax: (504)838-5435
[email protected]
You can also leave a message for Rep. Henry with the House switchboard:
225-342-6945.
Since the assignment of Conference Committee members from the House and Senate has not yet been announced. We will update with the members and their contact info when they are announced.
Membership will be decided as follows:
Rule 6.14. Conference committees; membership; appointment
A. Conference committee appointees from the House of Representatives shall be the following: (1) The member who authored or handled the bill or resolution, or in his absence, a member appointed by the Speaker; (2) The chairman of the committee that reported the bill or resolution, or in his absence, the vice chairman of such committee, or in the absence of the chairman and vice chairman, a member appointed by the Speaker from among the members of such committee; and (3) One member appointed by the Speaker.
Rule 13.21. Conference Committees; membership
The Senate membership of each Conference Committee shall be three senators appointed by President.
UPDATE: 8:30 pm on Feb. 19th - HB3 has passed the Senate and is back in the House which must vote to accept Senate amendments. The voucher funding remains intact. The vote will take place around 2:00 P.M. TODAY (2/20). Please, contact your Representatives and ask them to vote NO on concurrence! You can also leave a message for your Rep. with the House switchboard: 225-342-6945. This will put the bill into conference committee and will afford an opportunity for the voucher funding to be removed.