From the News Service of Florida:
The co-sponsor of a measure that would overhaul the state’s de facto voucher program has filed an amendment that would scale back the legislation by removing one of the more controversial elements.
Rep. Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah, filed an amendment Tuesday that would strike a proposal to increase the cap on fundraising for the program. The original proposal would have upped the cap to about $30 million above what it would otherwise be over the next five years, assuming the number of students using the vouchers continued to grow. If Diaz’s amendment is approved, the bill would mostly expand the eligibility for the program and boost the amount that each scholarship would cover.
The House could consider amendments to the bill (HB 7167) as soon as Wednesday.
The Senate, meanwhile, has shown no interest in attaching the voucher provisions to a bill (SB 1512) that would help parents pay for education services for disabled children — something that is also included in the House bill. Senators withdrew a stand-alone voucher proposal last month.
Editor’s note: The tax credit scholarship (aka “voucher”) program is administered by Step Up For Students, which co-hosts this blog.
