PA School Choice Bill Passes the Senate

WASHINGTON, DC- Last night, FreedomWorks members, teachers, parents and volunteer activists across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania celebrated as The Opportunity Scholarship and Educational Improvement Tax Credit Act (SB1) cleared the PA Senate by a vote of 27-22.

Among those voting YES for SB1 were Senators Alloway, Argall, Browne, Brubaker, Corman, Dinniman, Earll, Eichelberger, Erickson, Folmer, McIlhinney, Mensch, Orie, Piccola, Pileggi, Rafferty, Robbins, Scarnati, Smucker, Tomlinson, Ward, Washington, Waugh,  White, Don, White, Mary Jo, Williams, and Yaw.

“It’s great to see progress being made towards comprehensive education reform for Pennsylvania children,” commented David Spielman, Campaigns Coordinator for FreedomWorks. “But the work is not finished. The current education system in Pennsylvania is failing kids every day, and the time is now for the General Assembly to give families a choice and send that bill to the Governor’s desk.”

The SB1 legislation would provide parents with opportunity scholarships for their children to attend the public, private, or parochial school of their choice. Contrary to the talking points of the teachers unions, SB1 would actually help to balance the state budget and cost taxpayers a fraction of the money spent per student annually.

“Education is a marketplace, just like any other good or service offered in today’s society. As competition and choice best serve the interests of consumers in commercial industry, these principles also benefit children in the educational market,” added Kibbe.

FreedomWorks and its network of over 30,600 Pennsylvania activists, teachers, families, and free-market allies have stood on the front lines of the PA school choice battle since day one, hosting town hall meetings, activist training seminars, launching a statewide radio and earned media campaign, and organizing phone call campaigns, legislative office visits and letter-writing campaigns.  FreedomWorks reached out to over 100,000 Pennsylvanians, urging them to contact their state legislators to tell them, “My school, my choice.”

The next step in the battle for school choice will take place in the state House of Representatives for a final vote.  As the bill progresses through the General Assembly, FreedomWorks will continue to mobilize its members, along with limited-government activists in Pennsylvania to call and email targeted Pennsylvania state legislators in support of SB1.