Hope dims to revive tuition bill

Tuition tax-credit backers continued this week to try to revive the measure, but hope dims as the sun begins to set on the 2005 Legislature.

The gavel falls by midnight tonight, but when emotions run so high on an issue — and with supporters and opponents possibly looking to oust contrary representatives next year — it's hard to give up the ghost.

"Are we working? Sure," said Royce Van Tassell of Education Excellence Utah. "But it's out of our hands. This is in the hands of leadership and the Governor's Office. If it is possible, they can make it happen . . . (but) I don't hold out a great deal of hope."

House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, is not going out of his way to drum up support.

And sponsoring Rep. Jim Ferrin, R-Orem, says he sent a note to supporting representatives, thanking them "for their courage, integrity, committing to vote and staying with it, and I'm ready to go home."

Second Substitute HB39, amended in Friday's House floor debate, sought to offer a $500 to $3,000 tax credit for private school tuition, based on family income. It would have a $10 million piggy bank for schools losing money under the credits, requirements such as testing for private schools, and fraud penalties.

The bill failed on a 34-40 vote, shocking key supporters who thought they had bagged more than the 38 votes needed to pass it. They worked to pick up the pieces and put the bill back together for a revote Friday afternoon, and again Monday and Tuesday.

Ferrin believes some colleagues are looking to the 2006 election.

"I think some representatives here have experienced fear of organized capabilities of the education community and fear how that might affect their chances for re-election," he said.

The Utah Education Association's Political Action Committee typically receives small donations from teachers and other supporters. But with 18,000 members, those monies add up to hundreds of thousands to support candidates the union believes support public education.

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