New Mexico House of Representatives passes educational choice bill with bipartisan support
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Washington, DC (March 16, 2015) – The American Federation for Children, the nation’s voice for educational choice, today lauded the New Mexico House of Representatives for passing a tax credit scholarship bill. On Saturday evening, HB 333 passed the House with a bipartisan vote, 38-25.
“The passage of the tax credit scholarship bill out of the New Mexico House of Representatives is positive news for New Mexico families and children in need of quality educational options,” said Kevin P. Chavous, executive counsel to the American Federation for Children. “New Mexico is moving in the right direction to expand educational options, and we want to applaud Speaker Don Tripp (R-Socorro) and Rep. James Strickler (R-Farmington) for their leadership on this crucial issue.”
The Equal Opportunity Scholarship Act, sponsored by Rep. Strickler, would create a $5 million corporate and individual income tax credit for donations to scholarship organizations. Individuals could donate as much as $10,000 or 50% of their liabilities, and corporations could donate as much as $20,000 or 50% of its liabilities to go towards scholarships for children to attend a school of their parents’ choice. The program is tailored to help low-income students who qualify for free or reduced lunch.
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American Federation for Children is the nation’s leading school choice advocacy organization and works in states across the country to help secure additional, high-quality educational options for families.
Kevin P. Chavous is executive counsel and a founding board member for the American Federation for Children. A noted attorney, author, and national school reform leader. A former member of the Council of the District of Columbia and a former chairman of D.C.’s Education Committee, Chavous was responsible for enacting numerous education reforms in D.C. Chavous is chair emeritus of the Democrats for Education Reform and a former chair of the Black Alliance for Educational Options.