The Missouri Legislature is considering two bad neo-voucher bills that would divert money from public school to private, almost exclusively religious, education. Please take a few moments to tell Missouri lawmakers to oppose these damaging proposals.
These bills, HB 496 and HB 528, grant tax credits to parents who send their children to private schools. If passed, these bills mean Missouri taxpayers would be footing the bill for private school expenses. Private schools, in turn, operate without government oversight, so taxpayers will have no mechanism for holding schools accountable. Where public money goes, public accountability must follow.
Voucher schemes like the one under consideration in Missouri financially devastate public schools and would force Missouri taxpayers to fund private religious education. Lacking oversight and accountability, voucher schemes in states across the country also invariably lead to widespread fraud and mismanagement.
Read FFRF’s “The Case Against Vouchers.”
The Missouri House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee has a hearing on these bills next Tuesday, April 20, at 8 a.m. Please use our automated system to contact all members of the subcommittee and urge them to vote no on this proposal. Click on the red “Take Action” button and feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
