Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/543920
AEA Advocate | Summer 2015 33 AT THE CAPIToL AT THE CAPIToL AT THE CAPIToL AT THE CAPIToL THE UGLY: Bills that Got Away, cont. HB2153 tax credits; STOs; preapproval; entities (sponsor: Rep. Olson) Expands the corporate scholarship tax credit to allow any S Corporations and Limited Liability Companies to make donations under the corporate scholarship tax credit program. With the STO tax aggregate being $43 million for the 2015 tax year and growing an astounding 20% each year, the AEA is opposed to expanding this poor fi scal policy idea even further. Passed the House by a vote of 34 ayes – 25 nays (the Democrats and Republicans Ackerley and Coleman voted no). Passed the Senate by a vote of 16 ayes – 13 nays (the Republicans supported and the Democrats opposed). The bill was signed by Governor Ducey on April 10. HB2483 school tax credit (sponsor: Rep. Livingston) Allows public school tax credit contributions made on or before April 15 following the close of the taxable year to be applied to either the current or preceding taxable year. It also incorporates reporting requirements for School Tuition Organizations (STOs) so that they must annually report the percentage and total dollar amount of scholarships and tuition grants awarded during the previous fi scal year to low income students. This information shall be included on the STO's website if one exists. The AEA opposes this tax credit program as bad public policy. AEA remains concerned with the inequities in the program between our public schools. For the 2013 tax year, $51 million was donated through the public school extracurricular tax credit program ($200/singles & $400/married couples). Of this amount, 12 school districts received 53% of the funds; charter schools received 38% of the funds; and the remaining 200+ school districts only received 9% of the total donations. Permitting individuals to make the contributions through April 15 will only further grow this inequity (because wealthier areas will have greater personal tax liability and thus the ability to choose to donate to a public school during tax time). Passed the Senate by a vote of 17 ayes – 12 nays (the Republicans supported and the Democrats opposed). Passed the House by a vote of 41 ayes – 19 nays (voted "no": Alston, Andrade, Benally, Bolding, Cardenas, Clark, Espinoza, Gabaldon, Gonzales, Hale, Larkin, Mach, McCune Davis, Mendez, Otondo, Rios, Steele, Velasquez, and Wheeler). The bill was signed by Governor Ducey on April 6. PASSED PASSED n Governor Ducey's website had this image with private religious school students to promote his state trust lands proposal. The photo was quickly replaced after media pointed out the irony of having a photo including private school students representing the caption, "Our money. Our kids. Learn about Gov. Ducey's vision for K-12 education."