It's amazing how the party of values can be so underhanded, isn't it? There is audio and video at link. Any emphasis is mine.

Republicans in bombshell move push through bill giving tax credits for kids at 'failing' schools to go to private schools

MONTGOMERY, Alabama --- Republicans dropped a legislative bombshell tonight as they slammed through a dramatically revamped education bill that will give tax credits for families at "failing schools" to send their children to private school or another public school.

Lawmakers voted mid-day to send a school flexibility bill -- that would let school systems seek waivers from some policies -- to conference committee. The conference committee reported a dramatically different bill that included the flexibility measures plus what some lawmakers called school vouchers.

Republicans heralded it as a historic day for education and life-altering for children stuck in poorly performing schools. But tempers boiled over as Democrats called the maneuver "sleaziness" and a "bait and switch."

The Senate broke down in chaos during the vote with every senator on their feet and many shouting at each other.

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"You went behind closed doors... This is not democracy. This is hypocrisy," Sen. Quinton Ross, D-Montgomery, shouted at Marsh.

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A bill, originally written to allow local schools to seek waivers from some state policies and laws, grew from about eight pages to about 27 pages in the conference committee.

The move drew outrage from Democrats who said the plan was evidently in the works for some time.

"I've never seen such sleaziness," Rep. Thomas Jackson, D-Thomasville, said.

Rep. Mary Moore, D-Birmingham, as she was leaving the House chamber threw her hands over her head and shouted, "Welcome to the new confederacy where a bunch of white men are now going to take over black schools."

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"What they're trying to do is give public money to private schools," Mabry said.

"I was lied to. I was lied to by the Senate Pro Tem. I was lied to by lawmakers," Mabry said.

Parents of children in failing schools could receive an income tax credit equal to 80 percent of the average annual state cost for attendance of a public K-12 student to offset the cost of private school or a transfer to another public school. A failing school is described as one in the bottom 10 percent of statewide reading and math scores, has earned three consecutive D's or an F on upcoming school report cards or is designated by the Department of Education as failing.

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"NONE of the added language to the Flex Bill has been vetted with us at the State Department/State Board of Education. There are SIGNIFICANT negative financial implications for all of Alabama's public schools. THIS IS NO LONGER THE BILL I GAVE MY SUPPORT TO!" said a statement by Bice that was distributed to lawmakers.

School Board Association Director Sally Howell said, "We are greatly disappointed."

http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/02/republi ... aj-story-2

If Boards tell the legislators to get stuffed the legislation becomes meaningless.
One cannot administer in a vacuum.

More on this. All emphasis mine. I have to laugh because the R's are the ones who constantly bitch about people who receive food stamps and welfare but do not qualify. This program has no income level qualification. Go figure.

Families zoned for 'failing' schools would get $3,500 tax credit, even if they are in private school now


MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Families zoned for "failing" schools -- even if their child goes to a private school now -- would receive up to a $3,553 income tax credit to offset private or alternate public school tuition costs, said the sponsor of a new school choice bill approved by the Alabama Legislature.

Lawmakers on Thursday approved the tax credits to help students transfer out of "failing" public schools. Whether those credits, and the transfers they could enable, are a salvation for parents or a siphoning off of public education funds was the subject of much back and forth between lawmakers and education groups the day after the drama-filled vote.
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"This isn't going to help failing schools. What this is going to do is make poor school systems even poorer. Because you are going to be taking money from already scrapped school systems and giving it to a private outfit," Mabry said.

The Alabama Accountability Act was approved in a chaotic night in the Alabama Legislature when a conference committee added the tax credits for school choice provision to a bill dealing with waivers from school policies. The Republican majority approved the conference committee report over the shouts of Senate Democrats.

"We thought we were dealing within the confines of the school flexibility bill. They pulled Rosemary's Baby out of the hat," Mabry said.
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The credit is open to all families regardless of income. A family could make $20,000 or $200,000-a-year and be eligible.
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The $3,500 tax credit will likely be short of the cost of private school tuition at some schools. The bill sets up a scholarship program to be funded with donations.
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The two sides of the debate disagreed on who the program will help and the ability of poor families to access the program.

"This was never about poor children at failing schools ... What poor family can pay the extravagant tuition that many of these private schools charge, and wait six months or even a year for this almost bankrupt state to pay them back in an income tax refund," Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham, said.

http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/03/familie ... rt_m-rpt-2