Vote No on SF 159

URGENT ACTION NEEDED: Senate Study Bill 1065 was introduced in the state senate on January 20th and has already passed out of the full Senate Education Committee on January 25th. The legislation has been renumbered to Senate File 159. Complete this form to contact your state senator to Vote No on SF 159.

Senate File 159, also known as the Governor’s 'Students First Scholarship' program diverts public dollars to non-public schools:

  • Public dollars need to go to public education. Public schools are required to admit and serve all students. This legislation would divert public funds to non-public schools, who are not required to adhere to this principle of equity.
  • Public funds should require accountability and transparency. Non-public schools are not held to the same standard as public schools. The absence of public accountability for public funds could contribute to waste and fraud of tax-payer dollars.
  • This proposal would spend approximately $50 million to benefit just 10,000 students. Especially at a time when our public schools are facing unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic, available resources should go to support the more than 480,000 public school students in all 99 counties.