by David Safier
According to reports, Jan Brewer is planning to call a special session to increase tax credits for private schools.
The details are vague at this point, but the talking point is crystal clear. The state Supreme Court ruled that Arizona's vouchers for disabled students and children living in foster homes were unconstitutional — because, the court said, vouchers are unconstitutional, period. So according to the people pushing this legislation, it's a way to give these poor, displaced students the private school education they need.
Them Republicans love their widows and orphans, when it comes to private schools, anyway. Not so much, though, when it comes to funds for public schools, DES or health care. That's a whole 'nother story.
Two other pieces of this puzzle:
First, the legislator associated with the push for the tax credits special session is Steve
Yarbrough — the same guy who runs a Student Tuition Organization (STO)
that gets to keep 10% of the tax credit money it brings in. Ka-ching! (More on Yarbrough and the sweet deal he has with that STO coming soon.)
Second, the rush to pass the bill, according to Yarbrough, is so it's in place
before the students go back to school in August. But there may be more to the
story. [Sidebar: did anyone notice the guns in parking lots
legislation was pushed right before the NRA convention?]