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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Blue Jersey:: Latino Action Network Opposes Opportunity Scholarship Act

Blue Jersey:: Latino Action Network Opposes Opportunity Scholarship Act:

Latino Action Network Opposes Opportunity Scholarship Act

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Last month, Governor Christie called on the New Jersey lawmakers to pass his version of education reform during the lame duck session of the legislature. The governor listed four bills as crucial to his reform agenda. Among those bills was the controversial 'Opportunity Scholarship Act' which would provide corporations a 100% tax credit for contributions made to a state run voucher program, which would then distribute the funds. This legislation would divert from $360 million to over $1 billion in tax dollars away from the public education system to private and religious schools. As a result of the governor's announcement, voucher proponents have renewed their efforts to get this bill passed claiming that vouchers would help poor children in New Jersey.

The Latino Action Network opposes the publicly funded voucher bill because we see it as a big gimmick that benefits corporate interests that would do nothing to help poor children stuck in failing school districts. Not one