Friday, February 02, 2007

HB 148 (Education Vouchers) passes the Utah House by one vote

Sad news for Utah Taxpayers: The Voucher Bill just passed the House by one vote.

Below is how our Leg. Reps voted:

SEQUENCE #129 STATE OF UTAH HB 148
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BY Urquhart, S.
2007 General Session of the 57th Legislature
VOTE TABULATION

Education Vouchers

FEBRUARY 2, 2007 Curtis
12:07:49 PM Education Vouchers SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE

YEAS - 38
Andersen
Fowlke
Kiser
Sumsion
Barrus
Frank
Last
Tilton
Buxton
Froerer
Lockhart
Urquhart
Clark, D.
Garn
Morley
Walker
Clark, S.
Gibson
Wheeler
Neuenschwander

Daw
Grover
Newbold
Wimmer
Dee
Harper
Noel
Wyatt
Donnelson
Herrod
Oda
Curtis
Dougall
Hughes
Painter
Draxler
Hutchings, E.
Sandstrom

NAYS - 37

Aagard
Dunnigan
Johnson
Ray
Allen, S.
Ferry
King
Riesen
Becker
Fisher, Janice
Litvack
Seelig
Bigelow
Fisher, Julie
Mascaro
Shurtliff
Bird
Gowans
Mathis
Snow, G.
Biskupski
Hansen
McGee
Wheatley
Bowman
Hemingway
McIff
Wiley

Brown
Hendrickson
Menlove
Cosgrove
Holdaway
Morgan
Duckworth
Hunsaker
Moss

ABSENT OR NOT VOTING - 0

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Now you know who Curtis represents Rob.

Anonymous said...

Now that this bill has passed I want a voucher to pay for my golf lessons.

Since I don't have any children attending school I don't see why I should have to pay for your kids to go to private or public school.

I want my choice!

Mark E. Towner said...

Rob, can't we all just get along now and move on?

I'm actually very pleased this has happened. Now both sides in the equation need to coyboy up and make things better for everyone. Mike Jerman expresses this best with the following:

"The educrats are saying the voucher bill would cost more than $50 million if this were fully implemented in year one instead of being phased in over several years. Here's why they're wrong There are approximately 16,000 private school students in Utah. If all of them are "rich" (which is what voucher opponents claim), then each one would receive $500 if the voucher were fully phased in. This would amount to $8 million. If ZERO students switched, the worst case scenario would be $8 million. Any students that switched would save tax dollars. Therefore, the number of switchers multiplied by the difference of the spending average per student minus the average voucher amount would be the savings and this would be deducted from the $8 million."

Anonymous said...

So is their a reason that Neuenschwander's name is highlighted in red? Does that mean the UEA is targeting him?

Anonymous said...

Let 'em have their vouchers. I think it's like the Emporer's New Clothes...

Anyway it won't do me or my family or my 5 children an ounce of good because we are in southern utah where there are no private schools and I'll bet that by the time they actually get some built here my grandchildren will even be out of school.

Anonymous said...

Count on Mike Jerman to miss a few things. First of all, we aren't paying ANY tax money for kids in private schools now. Let's see, that goes from $0 to how much and at the expense of whom?
And his "worst" case scenario actually seems like the best case.
And WHO will be paying for the vouchers? The voucher people? NOT A BIT--it will be the rest of us.

We can "all get along" now if we work together to improve things for ALL children in ALL schools.

Anonymous said...

Interested,

Jerman actually did include those that are already enrolled in private school. That's where the $8 million comes from in the first place. In fact, he wrote the following:

"There are approximately 16,000 private school students in Utah. If all of them are "rich" (which is what voucher opponents claim), then each one would receive $500 if the voucher were fully phased in. This would amount to $8 million."

Anonymous said...

"Interested" is not interested being honest.

Mike Jerman very clearly stated that there would be a cost to give vouchers for those currently in private schools. But he also stated that there would be savings to offset those costs. Read his quote again and you'll that he did.