On March 7, 2007 the Missouri House of Representatives defeated a proposal to offer scholarships to lower income or poorly performing school students residing in the City of St. Louis or Kansas City public school districts so they could attend a public school in another district or a private school.

Rep. Charles Bearden (R-St. Charles) sponsored the legislation (HB 808). He hailed the bill as an opportunity to give children an opportunity for a quality education. Neither the City of St. Louis or the Kansas City school districts are fully accredited by the state of Missouri. The Missouri State School Board is in the process of establishing a committee to oversee the work of the St. Louis School Board, which has been beset by controversy and financial troubles in recent years.

Governor Matt Blunt and Lt. Governor Peter Kinder were on the House floor while the bill was considered, talking with a number of legislators who were undecided right up to moment of the vote. However, public school representatives had convinced many lawmakers to vote against the bill on the basis that it represented a first step towards a statewide voucher system that would threaten the continued vitality of the state’s public schools.

The legislation elicited only mild interest from potential supporters in areas outside of the two metropolitan areas. Except for Catholic schools in or very near the City of St. Louis or Kansas City, few would have been accepting scholarship students under the proposed plan.

Opponents argued the bill would “cherry pick” the best students for the scholarships but Rep. Bearden explained that HB 808 targeted its scholarship assistance to the poorest and lowest performing students in the public schools. He said research showed that public schools faced with school choice competition began to perform better and public school students had improved academic performance.

The bill would have generated its scholarship assistance by providing state income tax credits to business’ and individuals that made charitable donations to organizations that offered the scholarship help. Charities like the St. Louis Today and Tomorrow Foundation and the Central City Schools Fund of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph could have participated in the program.

Sixty-two legislators voted for HB 808 while 96 voted against it. Five representatives were absent. Fifty-four Republicans and 8 Democrats voted for the bill and 35 Republicans and 61 Democrats voted against the measure. Opposition came especially from rural lawmakers whose districts would have received no direct benefit from the legislation. Many rural lawmakers were inundated with calls from their local public school officials to oppose HB 808 because it would lead to a statewide voucher program. Some legislators also may have been influenced by the opposition of the public school teachers unions.

To view how your legislator voted on HB 808 please visit the MCC website at www.mocatholic.org, click on the Legislative box on the left and then “Key Votes.”

While the House defeated its version of the scholarship credit legislation, Sen. Luanne Ridgeway (R- Smithville) has filed a Senate companion bill (SB 698). This legislation was approved by the Senate Education Committee and awaits Senate debate. Prospects for passage in the Senate appear slim as Senate tradition allows unlimited debate, which permits a minority of senators to filibuster legislation indefinitely.