2001 — HB138, Income Tax Credits for Qualifying Educational Expenses. Passed House Education Committee but died in House Rules Committee.

2002 — SB69, Tuition Tax Credits. Passed Senate Education Committee but died in Senate Rules Committee.

2003 — SB34, Tuition Tax Credits. Passed Senate but died in House Rules without House consideration.

2004 — HB271, Tuition Tax Credits. Passed House Judiciary Committee but was rejected by House majority and returned to House Rules where it died.

2005 — HB39, Tuition Tax Credits. Passed House Education Committee but failed in House vote 34-40.

2006 — HB340, Education Funding Amendments. Died in House Rules Committee.

2007 — HB148, Parent Choice in Education Act. Passed House 38-37 and passed Senate 19-10. Signed into law.

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Voucher advocates, foes arguments

Voucher advocates' arguments

• Taxpayers will spend $7,500 per student in public school this year, while the average voucher will cost less than $2,000. In the next 13 years, money saved on students who transfer to private schools will total $1 billion, providing an extra billion dollars in funding for students in public schools, according to Utah State University.

• When students use a scholarship to transfer to a private school, local schools will still be able to count that student as enrolled for funding purposes. With fewer students and more money per student, schools can keep class sizes smaller.

• Without vouchers, class sizes are likely to grow larger over the next decade as 150,000 new students enter the system. Thousands of seats are already available in Utah private schools.

• With higher funding per student, schools can increase teacher pay and reduce class size to ease the burden on teachers.

• Vouchers mean taxpayers can provide education to thousands of students at a huge savings. With that savings Utah will be able to increase funding and improve schools without a tax increase.

• Vouchers make cost less of an issue for thousands of low- and middle-income families whose children need something different than what public schools offer them.