BYU NewsNet - Senate adds to education bill

Tuition tax credit became a part of education reform Wednesday Feb. 19 during a Senate Education Committee.

Second Substitute S.B. 154 was presented to and combined Tuition Tax Credits and the Education "Omnibus" Bill.

Those opposed to the addition say that adding tuition tax credit will prevent good legislation from getting passed. Others think that tuition tax credit is an important part of education reform.

"We never tried to hide the fact that education would be a whole package," said Sen. Thomas Hatch, R-Beaver, who is sponsoring the legislation. "It includes school choice, funding and competency. We won't be able to get this legislation passed without all those components."

The Utah Education Association said that the tuition tax credit is harmful to important education reform.

"It is unfortunate because the bill has merit," said Pat Rusk, president of the Utah Education Association. "Parts are valuable, but it has been packaged poorly."

House and Senate Democrats opposed to the substitution voiced their concerns with the bill at a press conference Wednesday.

"The Democrats have always supported public education but as long as Tuition Tax Credits are a part of the package, we will oppose the education reform package," said Rep. Brad King, House Minority Whip.

"How can you talk seriously about reforming public education while taking money out of the system to benefit a very small percentage of the population," said Senate Minority Whip Ron Allen, D-Salt Lake.

S.B. 154 includes increasing funding for public schools and requiring students to pass competency tests before graduating from high school. With the new substitute, it now includes tuition tax credit.

"This follows up on efforts that the State Board of education has proposed and that Gov. Leavitt is behind," Hatch said

While Gov. Mike Leavitt has put a great emphasis on education reform, he is disappointed about the addition to the bill.

"[Leavitt] wanted them separate," said Natalie Gochnour, spokeswoman for the governor. "By joining them, you put at risk a lot of important education reform."

Leavitt is not opposed to tuition tax credit, but feels it is only appropriate for education if it won't harm public schools, Gochnour said.

"Our primary interest is the quality of the public school system," Gochnour said. "The governor won't support tuition tax credit unless he is confident that it wont hurt public education."

The first substitution of the bill was presented and debated in the Senate Education Committee. After nearly an hour and a half of debate, a second substitution was proposed. The second substitution was passed in the last five minuets of the meeting.

Those opposed to tuition tax credit said they were not given a chance to debate the issue.

"We weren't even given a copy of the substitution until we arrived at the committee meeting," Rusk said. "We had to debate the substitution we had never seen until today. It was like times up, goodbye. It was despicable."

All the bill needs to become law is 15 votes in the Senate and 38 votes in the House. Right now, that is what supporters of S.B. 154 are working toward, Hatch said.

"The major hurdle will be the House of Representatives," Hatch said.

Hatch said that conservative House members would be less concerned with the tuition tax credit and more worried about voting to increase taxes.

"That is a battle we will have to fight as we go along," Hatch said. "It will take a coalition of moderates and conservatives to push this through."

The UEA has called the bill non-negotiable because tuition tax credit has been added.

"We are working with all legislators to let them know that we can no longer support SB 154," Rusk said. "Something as controversial as tuition tax credit should not have been included in that bill."

Tuition tax credit was included in the bill because it would not be able to pass on its own merit, Rusk said.

"It still has a long way to go," Gochnour said. "But we will continue to make our interests clear."

Sen. D. Chris Butters, R-Salt Lake, originally proposed tuition tax credit as a separate bill, S.B. 34

"We may move still S.B. 34 through the House," Butters said. "We will most likely push it through as package."

The original bill will go to the House only if S.B. 154 does not pass, Butters said.

"I think S.B. will fly right through," Butters said.

Second Substitute S.B. 154 was recommended favorably by the Senate Education Committee this morning and was placed on the Senate second Reading calendar for further consideration. If passed in the Senate, the bill will go to the House for final approval.