From Deseret News archives:
Tuition credits bill adjusted
Changes could give plan its best chance in years
Tuition tax credits are expected to be one of the biggest political battles during the session convening Jan. 17: Opponents say offering them would dent public school coffers; supporters say they would give parents a true choice of schools.
A state-commissioned study by Utah State University indicated they could save the state money. But a group of economists and academics has challenged that finding.
Public opinion since 2001 has slightly leaned away from the concept, with between 39 percent and 44 percent somewhat or strongly approving of it, Dan Jones & Associates polls have shown.
This week, 36 percent of 623 Utahns polled in a Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV survey said they strongly or somewhat favor tuition tax credits. Sixty-one percent said they somewhat or strongly oppose them.
The poll has a 4 percent error margin.
The bill aims to less expensively educate an expected 140,000-student enrollment boom and help parents choose the best schooling for their children, Ferrin said.
But as-is, the bill might not appeal to House moderates who for years have stifled its movement.
The bill already allows families to get tax credits bigger that what they paid in taxes, ensuring the poor receive full benefits. But now, Ferrin is talking about "means-testing" either scaling or targeting credits to favor lower-income Utahns.
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. likes the idea, chief of staff Jason Chaffetz said. "We have a question as to how it would work in the rural communities, but conceptually, we're on board with this."
Ferrin also is talking about joining his bill with one requested by Rep. Steve Mascaro, R-West Jordan.
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