ACTION ALERT: REGISTER YOUR OPPOSITION TO H93

Take action today by sending an email to all members of the House's Rev and Tax Committee NOW registering your opposition to H39. The League of Women Voters of Idaho takes action on an issue or advocates for a cause when there is an existing League position that supports the issue or speaks to the cause. Get involved!

THE THREAT

The Idaho Constitution requires that public schools are adequately funded by the Legislature. Legislative proposals are being considered to give state taxpayer funds to private and religious schools which will take already inadequate funding away from public schools. This will be particularly bad for rural communities.

H93 is the worst bill of this kind introduced this session. Rural residents will see their tax dollars go to urban families. Property owners will be asked to raise their taxes to keep their public schools open. This bill has NO state oversight built in. The threat to public schools has never been greater. This proposal must be stopped!

THE BILL - H93

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: The Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit legislation provides for a refundable tax credit up to $5,000 for a parent, guardian or foster parent who incurs qualified education expenses for an eligible student. “Qualified expenses” include kindergarten through twelfth grade tuition and fees related to attending a nonpublic school, tutoring, taking assessments used to determine college admission, costs for textbooks, curriculum, and transportation costs for the purpose of receiving academic instruction. The refundable tax credit is increased up to $7,500 for special needs students that require ancillary personnel to assist in academic instruction. All families may apply for the refundable tax credit during the application timeframe, but families whose income is less than 300% of the federal poverty level receive the highest priority and can also elect to have a one-time advance tax credit payment in their first year of participation in the program. The Idaho State Tax Commission will administer the program and has the ability to audit records, receipts and documents similar to all tax filings to ensure accountability. 

The Idaho State Tax Commission may refer suspected cases of fraud to the Attorney General for investigation and prosecution. The Tax Commission will be required to report annually to the Idaho Legislature on the number of tax credits applied for and the average tax credit issued, the types and amounts of qualified education expenses, the income of households applying for the credit, and the geographic area of the parents applying for the tax credit. Parents participating in the tax credit program will be required to complete a satisfaction and engagement survey to evaluate the performance of the nonpublic school.

Text of the Bill: Full Text of H93

ACTION ALERT

Send an email to all members of the House's Rev and Tax Committee NOW registering your opposition to H93 and any attempts to divert taxpayer dollars away from public schools and towards government handouts. Kathy Dawes has provided an example here. Use your own words and experiences! 

Prepare to testify in-person before the Committee. In-person testifiers must add their names to a sign-up sheet outside the Committee Room (EW 42). No remote testimony is allowed.

SUBMITTING WRITTEN TESTIMONY

To submit written testimony (that may be read aloud by a Committee member at the hearing), please email hrev [at] house.idaho.gov, with "Written Testimony" and the bill number in the subject line, and include your name, your legislative district, who if anyone you represent, and whether you are for or against the legislation in question, by 4:00 P.M. MT TODAY to the hearing. Please limit your testimony to approximately 300 words, or the amount that can be read in 2 minutes.