Senate Bill 189, An act “to provide a tax credit to insurance companies that contribute to an organization providing educational scholarships to certain students and instructional supply grants to certain teachers and parents.” has apparently run in to a roadblock in the House.
It failed in Committee 8-7…
SB 189, House Taxation, Do Pass
| Bartling | Nay | Beal | Yea | Duvall | Nay |
| Haggar (Don) | Yea | Killer | Nay | Kirschman | Nay |
| Latterell | Yea | May | Yea | Novstrup (Al) | Yea |
| Rasmussen | Nay | Russell | Yea | Wiik | Yea |
| Willadsen | Nay | Rozum | Nay | Solum | Nay |
But was later sent to the floor without recommendation on an 8-7 vote:
SB 189, House Taxation, Report out of committee without recommendation
| Bartling | Nay | Beal | Yea | Duvall | Nay |
| Haggar (Don) | Yea | Killer | Nay | Kirschman | Nay |
| Latterell | Yea | May | Yea | Novstrup (Al) | Yea |
| Rasmussen | Yea | Russell | Yea | Wiik | Yea |
| Willadsen | Nay | Rozum | Nay | Solum | Nay |
Today, a vote took place to calendar the measure (I’ll have the vote for you in a bit) which failed. Noting who voted for an against it left State Representative Lee Schoenbeck noting in an e-mail to colleagues:
From: Lee Schoenbeck
Date: March 6, 2015 at 2:23:09 PM CST
Subject: Re: SB 189Wow. Every democrat voted NO. Block voted. Probably a coincidence, unrelated to 94% of SDEA’s cash going to Democrats in an effort to defeat us???? I bet SDEA won’t do that again
(I detect a little sarcasm in Lee’s comment about SDEA not supporting Democrats with 94% of their cash again.) The House Dems block voted on a non-partisan bill which had Democrats sponsoring it?
So, does that make SDEA the Lobbying group of No?
SDEA is an interest group. Dems usually suit their interests and thus Dems get their $$. Just like how NRA is an interest group. Rs suit their interests and thus get their $$. Nothing too surprising here, Lee.
Maybe those who voted it down were just following their oath of office to uphold the state constitution. Maybe they thought the $83 million should go into the state general fund to support public schools, public roads and public bridges, not to certain students, parents and teachers. Those who choose to use private schools know the financial obligations that come with that choice. Government already subsidizes them by not collecting property tax, we don’t need to give more.
I’m intrigued. Private school families don’t have to pay property taxes?! News to me. Please explain.
Our kids went to a private elementary school, and we did NOT get a break on our property taxes. In effect, people who choose to go the private school route pay twice – once in property taxes and again in tuition. Home schoolers don’t get a break in property taxes because they aren’t utilizing the public schools either; they get to pay the taxes plus buy their educational materials.
No you didn’t get the tax break, but your private school did. They didn’t pay for paved streets, snow removal, police and fire protection and all the other benefits property taxes provide. As for their choice to go outside the public school system, that was their decision. If you buy a car you can’t afford, don’t ask for help from taxpayers to keep it on the road. You’re saying because you don’t use public transportation, you should get a tax break? Pay for the bed you bought and lie in it at your own expense. The fact is, every tax break that doesn’t have a matching budget cut, shifts that burden to those that do pay.
“The fact is, every tax break that doesn’t have a matching budget cut, shifts that burden to those that do pay.” Tell that to the politicos in DC!
The property that the public school sits on does not get taxed either. And when someone sends students to a private school that is one less student that needs to be educated, saving the taxpayer money. The problem is the local school does not want a student to go to the private schools because they then do not get that $4700/student that the state gives for each student. So, in essence, a parent who sends his kid to a private school saves the state money.
I know a district that has a $300,000 opt out. There is also a private school in the district. The local tax payers pay extra taxes that equal the amount the district would receive in additional state aid if the private school students were enrolled in the public school. There are also additional public school expenses to provide text books and transportation to the private school students.
Are you suggesting that if they did not have the private school there would be no need for an opt out? I suspect there would still be a need.
I checked to make sure of my facts at the following site, and I was correct – “TThe total amount of per-student funding for a school district is paid for by a combination of money raised by the school district through local property taxes and money raised by the state through statewide taxes.”
http://www.sdbpi.org/per-student-k-12-funding-in-south-dakota
The $4,700 or whatever amount is set by the legislature is split half and half between local property taxes and state aid. So if the “state aid” is set at $4,700 per student for the year, the school is missing out not on $4,700 per private school student, but half of that or $2,350. The property taxes which pay the other $2,350 are still going to the local public school.
Private schools existed in the 19th century?
this bill had a big ‘kick me’ sign on its back
The reconsider vote will pass. Their were 8 reps missing today.
Any time a private business obtains a tax credit by increasing the net worth of a public entity everyone wins.
If SD truly wants to see an increase in an educated population we should offer zero interest college loans funded by corporate tax breaks. And teach the Feds how to educate our youth in the process.
If sdea is against it, it must be good for education.
Willarsen, Rozum, Duvall, and Solem are RINOs who vote with the Dems on most issues. SDEA (the teachers’ union) is always pleased with the way they vote. Too bad Solem is the only one of these liberal legislators that will be termed out next year!
Gosh, insaner than most.