Will religious schools bring our public education system to its knees? On Grothman’s private school tax credit and other repugnancies
“… no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.” from the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, Thomas Jefferson, drafted in 1777 Wisconsin state senator Glenn Grothman [Fool-West Bend] and Represenatative Dean Kaufert [R-Neenah] announced on 4/1/13 that they’ll unveil a bill to authorize a $1,500 tax credit to parents who enroll a child in a private school at the elementary level and a $2,500 credit for enrollment in a private high school. Right wing poobah Robin Vos likes the idea. Here’s their press release. Seen one way, this new bill could provide a graceful way for Scott Walker to back out of his highly unpopular plan to expand publicly-funded voucher schools at a cost of approx. $94 million
