IL speaker equates scholarship program to vouchers and against Democrat platform

[August 22, 2024]  By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – The Invest in Kids school choice scholarship program that sunset last year doesn’t appear to be on the way to being revived any time soon, according to Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside.

Tens of thousands of families benefited from the program that gave a 75% Illinois income tax credit to private donors who funded private school scholarships for families under a certain income threshold. After being enacted in 2017, the program ended Dec. 31, 2023. Attempts to revive the program have so far not materialized.

Outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Sean Dwyer, a Republican running for the statehouse, said the program for private donors to fund private school scholarships could have been instrumental in ending a cycle of violence in a city like Chicago.

“If we can do a better job educating our kids that will work toward better public safety and a virtuous cycle where people spend money in their city, grocery stores come back and life is better for everybody,” Dwyer told The Center Square.

Inside the convention hall, Welch said the program could be considered a school voucher program.

“Here at the Democratic National Convention, vouchers is something that’s on the Democratic platform as we’re against as Democrats,” Welch told The Center Square. “And that’s reflected in our conversations at the statehouse.”

Families demonstrate at the Illinois State Capitol in front of Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch's office in support of the Invest in Kids school choice scholarship program
Greg Bishop / The Center Square

Voucher programs allow parents to take their tax dollars that fund public schools with them and use those dollars on a private school of their choice. Invest in Kids was funded by private donations.

Despite there being bipartisan support, including all 40 Illinois Republicans in the House supporting the program, Welch said there weren’t 60 Democrats on board to bring a renewal forward.

“The advocates have just not been able to convince 60 Democrats to support continuation of that program and that’s consistent with what Democrats across America feel,” he said.

Public school teachers unions opposed Invest in Kids, claiming it took tax dollars away from public schools despite it being funded by private donations.

Leslie Collazo, a Republican running for the Illinois statehouse, said school choice is so important because some feel public school is indoctrinating students, which some parents don’t want.

“If you want your child indoctrinated, then fine. Put them where you want,” Collazo told The Center Square. “The beauty of this is that we all live in a free country, but some kids don’t have certain options and I don’t think that’s fair so I think we have to fight on their behalf.”