More reasons to stop the private/religious school giveaway that's costing our state millions!

The Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee will vote Monday. Tell members to support SB 95!

Studies show that vouchers actually result in LOWER student achievement. Yet our state has a costly School Tuition Organization scheme that will cost us $7 million next year while turning a profit for wealth taxpayers and corporations.

Of the 17 states that have this type of program, only Louisiana actually pays rebates to contributors!

Send a message to the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee: Vote YES on SB 95!

Our state budget is in crisis, and public schools are starving because years of standstill budgets left local school districts short of the money they need to provide a quality education.

Even so, a little-known scheme to pay tuition at private and religious schools threatens to siphon hundreds of millions of dollars away from the state treasury.

So-called school tuition organizations (STOs) can accept contributions from individuals and corporations, who are then eligible for tax refunds and credits of up to 128% of the donation. The specially created non-profit organizations then pay the tuition for students at private and religious schools. Thats' right - they can actually make a profit!

There is no limit on the amount that can be donated to STOs, or to the number of students who may get their tuition paid. The number of students participating in the STO program has increased dramatically, from 16 in 2014, to 53 in 2015, to 776 in 2016.

Because contributions are unlimited, the Legislative Fiscal Office wrote in 2012 that “Charges against gross state tax collections could be substantial.” The rapid growth of the program is making that fear a reality.

Senator Blade Morrish’s SB 95 would curb this outrageous giveaway of public dollars by converting the rebate to a nonrefundable tax credit and limit the amount of money eligible for the donation. Please send a message to the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee. Urge members to vote FOR SB 95.