Education PACs play big role in races

A political action committee that wants to give parents tax credits or government vouchers to send their kids to private schools is playing a dominant financial role in GOP politics and legislative races this year.

New PAC filings due Tuesday show that Parents for Choice in Education has plowed about $60,000 into the state Republican Party over the past month and donated just more than $112,000 to legislative candidates, mostly Republicans.

"We support people and organizations that support our vision ... we support Utah parents and their right to choose the education that's best for their children," said Nancy Pomeroy, spokeswoman for PCE. "In order to get your vision out there, it takes some funds."

The Utah Education Association's PAC, often pitted against PCE in the school-choice debate, has spent about $64,000 on candidates this election year. Overall, it has received around $65,000, mainly in small donations from members, spent $128,000, and has a $232,000 balance, its PAC report states.

"I don't think money is the only factor ... we have thousands of members," said Vik Arnold, UEA government relations and political action director. The group opposes vouchers or tuition tax credits. "We think we're in good shape. I don't think we'll see the entire story on contributions and expenditures until after the election."

Overall, Parents for Choice took in nearly $363,000 this election year and has a $39,000 balance, its report states. Since mid-September, its main donors are listed as $20,000 from Park City resident and Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne, $50,000 from the Michigan-based school choice advocacy group All Children Matter, and $10,000 from D&E Development of Farmington.

Democrats, some of whom are supported by the 18,000-member teachers union, last week complained that Republican opponents were sending out several campaign mailers costing thousands of dollars. Some decried the mailers as negative campaign tactics that depicted half truths about the candidates' records, and said they were the work of Parents for Choice in Education.

Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay, was among those complaining. She had received about $2,000 in help from the UEA last August.

Her opponent, Sandy Thackeray, received more than $3,200 from Parents for Choice in October. The spending was for printing and postage, the PAC report states.

The fliers state they were funded by the Republican Party.

Parents for Choice has given some $60,000 to the Utah Republican Party since Sept. 16.