Duo back tuition credit

Both Republicans facing off in Tuesday's gubernatorial primary indicate support for a tuition tax credit bill that surfaced last Legislature.

But observers believe the support is unequal — which could be good or bad for voters, depending on their stands.

The Deseret Morning News asked Jon Huntsman Jr. and Nolan Karras about two public education issues: tax credits, and how each candidate would prepare the state for a wave of new students. The candidates' full responses can be found online here.

Tuition tax credits resurfaced in the 2004 Legislature under a bill sponsored by Rep. Jim Ferrin, R-Orem. The bill sought a tax credit worth half of the student's private school tuition, with a maximum credit of $1,500 for kindergartners and $2,000 for older students; current private school students were ineligible.

Huntsman said he believes in tuition tax credits and supports Ferrin's bill. But he said a voucher bill for special education students, which Gov. Olene Walker vetoed last session, should become law first.

"Before implementing Ferrin's bill, we should pass the Carson Smith Special Needs Bill, and include broader student categories," Huntsman said. "This will provide the market test for choice in education. With the information gathered from this test, Rep. Ferrin's bill can be implemented more effectively."

Karras, chairman of the State Board of Regents, says he would have signed Ferrin's bill if the Legislature, presumably with public input, passed it.

"I philosophically support giving parents as many choices as possible in educating their children. However, I will be vigilant in protecting the public education system. And I will oppose any drastic change that will erode the public education system."

In an interview, Karras elaborated, saying he would like to get both sides of the issue together and "see if we can put something together that makes sense to both sides . . . If we work together, we can try to take care of some of the pain."

Education Excellence Utah, a pro-tuition tax credit group, believes Karras' stand indicates weak support for tuition tax credits by saying he would sign it but not saying he would help implement the change.

"Nolan Karras, in many ways, sounds like he is protecting himself," Ed-Ex Utah spokesman Royce Van Tassell said. He notes Karras declined to answer Parents for Choice in Education's pre-GOP convention questionnaire on school choice, including tuition tax credits. The silence was interpreted as opposition.