By: Keith Kappes
Columnist
Carter County Times
Like it or not, the ghosts of white supremacy are alive and well in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Two times the Republican supermajority in the Kentucky General Assembly passed laws to allow public funds to be used to help fund private schools and both times our courts threw the laws out as unconstitutional because our state constitution says public funds can only go to the “common” schools of the Commonwealth.
Then it was proposed as a constitutional amendment and Kentucky voters rejected it soundly in all 120 counties.
Perhaps acting on the advice and encouragement of the White House, the GOP leadership in the General Assembly embraced House Bill 1 to take advantage of a new federal tax-credit scholarship program. The legislation literally flew through both houses of the legislature and has been sent to the governor’s desk.
If Gov. Andy Beshear vetoes HB 1, the six Democrats left in the Senate and the 20 survivors in the House will look on helplessly as their GOP colleagues quickly override the veto.
HB 1 would make Kentucky eligible to participate in the qualified elementary and secondary education scholarship federal tax credit program established in House Resolution 1, which passed the U.S. Congress last year.
The legislation grants Kentucky’s Secretary of State, pointedly not our Democratic governor, the authority to opt into the program on behalf of the state. Participants would receive a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for donations made to Kentucky scholarship granting organizations (SGOs).
The bill sponsor described the legislation as a dollar-for-dollar credit. In essence, a tax dollar owed to the feds would give taxpayers the choice of sending that dollar to Washington or to a “scholarship granting organization” here in Kentucky. It was claimed that no state funds would be involved in the programs.
Sen. Robin L. Webb, R-Grayson, explained her “yes” vote by saying she would monitor how any increased funding is used in the state to ensure the bill achieves its intended effect in improving education.
We hope she is successful, but we won’t be surprised if and when the authorized-but-yet-to-be-funded charter schools siphon off good students and state monies from our existing, underfunded public schools.
Contact Keith at keithkappes@gmail.com.
