House Bill 743 looks very similar to a tax credit voucher scheme that was rejected in a 10-7 vote by the same committee on March 12 — only with an estimated price tag that’s $10 million more expensive and its sponsors openly admitting the bill will pull funds from public schools to pay for vouchers.
Despite being sponsored by a powerful duo — House Speaker Mike Moyle (R-Star) and House Majority Leader Jason Monks, (R-Meridian) — it’s unclear whether the new bill has time to clear the necessary legislative hurdles this year. The bill’s previous version sat on the committee’s reading calendar for six weeks because of a lack of support before being rejected.
Idaho Education Association members have long opposed vouchers — or siphoning public tax dollars away from public schools to pay for private or parochial school tuition — in any form. Lawmakers received more than 6,500 emails from IEA members in opposition to the bill’s first iteration.
IEA members will oppose House Bill 743, if it comes before the committee for a hearing. As of Friday afternoon, it was still not officially scheduled for a hearing by the committee chairman.
House Bill 743’s fiscal note directly states that “this bill transfers $60 million from the cash balance in the bond levy equalization fund” to pay for vouchers — meaning public school districts will lose that funding if the bill passes.
Typically, voucher proponents go out of their way to deny that their various voucher schemes would rob public school students of funding.
