Lousiana voucher bill wins bipartisan support

The Louisiana House of Representatives voted 61-42 Thursday night in favor of a sweeping voucher bill, and despite the initial media narrative, the measure won significant bipartisan support. Twelve of 45 Democrats, including six black Democrats, shrugged off tremendous pressure and voted for House Bill 976.

The Louisiana vote is another sign that school choice and parental choice initiatives are being embraced by folks across the political spectrum. It’s also another sign that the dominant story lines need to be adjusted to reflect that reality.

Two weeks ago, a significant number of Democrats in the Florida Legislature made a similarly courageous vote – in their case, to expand the state’s tax-credit scholarship program. But as it was in Louisiana, that important detail was missing from news stories.


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BY Ron Matus

Ron Matus is director of Research & Special Projects at Step Up for Students and a former editor of redefinED. He joined Step Up in February 2012 after 20 years in journalism, including eight years as an education reporter with the Tampa Bay Times (formerly the St. Petersburg Times).

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