Local lawmakers talk education, Greenwood Center, Rieger Armory, fuel tax
Kirksville Daily Express
Local state lawmakers met in Kirksville on Friday as part of the Kirksville Chamber of Commerce’s State of the District discussion.
Cindy O’Laughlin, the District 18 state senator, Danny Busick, the District 3 representative, and Greg Sharpe, the District 4 representative, talked about legislation they are working on and other legislative topics.
Since they covered a multitude of issues, this will be a two-part series to cover what they said. This is Part 1, which covers education, ongoing work at the Greenwood Center Project and Rieger Armory, and a potential fuel tax.
If private schools accept public money, they should be held accountable to taxpayers, Ghan said.
Tax credits part of bill
Related to private schools, the bill would create up to $100 million in tax credits for donations to an organization that provides scholarships for students to attend a private school or home school.
In addition to the recall provision for local school board members, the bill would also limit state board of education members to one term.
Ghan said he s not sure about the strategy of loading so many things into one bill. It could give some legislators something to vote against, but it also could appeal to enough members to pass.
A bill with charter school expansion, public funding of private schools and home schools, and nearly everything else officials and advocates of traditional public schools don t want could come up for debate on the floor of the Missouri Senate at any time.
Bills like this one are introduced every year and so far have been unsuccessful, but like so many other things, this year may be different.
Among its provisions, the bill would expand charter schools beyond St. Louis and Kansas City to allow them to be established in towns with populations over 30,000 and charter counties.
It would create tax credits allowing donations to an organization that provides scholarships for students to attend private school or home school.