Democrats "Still Polling" on Invest in Kids Program
House Speaker Chris Welch has apparently yet to decide the fate of the Invest in Kids private school scholarship program.
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It appears House Democrats have not yet decided whether to renew a controversial tax credit to provide scholarships to private schools or if it will expire at the end of the year.
Democrats held a caucus Tuesday where the Invest in Kids program was expected to be a key point of discussion, but we’re told there was little debate as leadership told members they are “still polling” on the issue and that it is still “up for future discussion.”
The Invest in Kids Act was enacted in 2017 and allows private, tax-deductible donations to a handful of non-profits around the state who provide need-based scholarships for children to switch from public to private schools. Around 9,500 kids currently take advantage of the scholarships, mostly in Cook County.
The program is different from traditional “school voucher” programs because taxpayer money is not shuffled into private schools.
Invest in Kids is scheduled to sunset at the end of the year, which would force kids in the program, who are all low-income, to switch schools during winter break.
Governor Pritzker has repeatedly punted the issue to the legislature, but has backed off of his previous opposition to signal he’ll sign what the General Assembly sends him.
“This isn’t an issue Democrats should be polling,” said one advocate who asked to remain anonymous. “They’re looking for political cover from the teachers union to allow them to kill a bill that helps thousands of black and brown kids in Democratic districts.”
A spokesperson for Welch said the conversation about the program is “ongoing.”
We’re told the main dissatisfaction in the caucus meeting came regarding Governor JB Pritzker’s veto of a bill granting Ameren Right of First Refusal to construct transmission lines in downstate Illinois.
We’re told Rep. Will Davis (D-Homewood), an African American, made multiple complaints regarding the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and an alleged lack of diversity. IBEW and other labor unions were strong supporters of the legislation.
But, it appears supporters aren’t deterred.
“I’m gonna work my bill. I know how the vote went, I know the nuts and bolts of it,” bill sponsor Rep. Larry Walsh (D-Elwood) told Capitol News Illinois last month. “I’m filing for an override. I went down there to protect Illinois workers. That’s what I’m going to do.”