Disappointed advocates of a bill giving special education students private school tuition money are certain Gov. Olene Walker will veto the measure today.

Walker called a Monday afternoon meeting with sponsors of the education voucher bill, "Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarships," named after a constituent's 5-year-old son who attends the $21,000 a year Carmen B. Pingree School for Children with Autism.

At the meeting, Walker said she had concerns about how the $1.5 million bill would be funded with one-time money, HB115's co-sponsor, Rep. Morgan Philpot, R-Sandy, told the Deseret Morning News. The meeting ended without resolution on that issue, he said.

"She avoided the word, 'veto,' " Philpot said. "But she said that was the way she was leaning. I did get the impression she would veto it."

That belief was "devastating" to Cheryl Smith, whose son's name is on the bill.

"I've been crying all night," she said. "Our families don't get help with anything. We're the square pegs in a round hole. We're on the waiting list (for disabled services). We don't get help with insurance. We don't get help with tuition. . . . We weren't asking for the moon — we were asking for a little help. For some families, that would make all the difference."

But Walker spokeswoman Amanda Covington said no decisions have been made. Walker still has today to sign, veto or silently let become law, bills passed during the 2004 Legislature.

"At this point, she is still talking to senior staffers and others about the bill," Covington said. "I still think (veto talk) is premature."

HB115 would offer parents of children with disabilities a government voucher worth up to about $5,400, depending on the severity of disability, for private school tuition. The State Board of Education would administer the program.

The bill set aside $1.5 million in one-time money for the program, which would offer renewable, three-year scholarships. It also requires a legislative audit after two years.

The bill is viewed by some as a way to help parents choose the education that best fits their children's needs.

But opponents believed the bill would trample on educational rights guaranteed under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and open the door to tuition tax credits, which they believe would drain public school funds.

The State Board of Education this month asked Walker to veto the bill. The State Office of Education says it often contracts with private schools when public schools can't provide what the law calls a "free and appropriate public education" to disabled children.

Monday, Walker brought up issues, including the fact the Legislative Coalition for People with Disabilities opposed the bill, Philpot said. But she kept returning to money matters.