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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos
3recently proposed a plan to provide $5 billion a year in
4federal tax credits for donations made to groups offering
5scholarships for private schools, apprenticeships, and other
6educational programs; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The Education Freedom Scholarships and
8Opportunity Act would provide a dollar-for-dollar tax credit
9for individuals and businesses that donate in an effort to
10provide scholarships so that children and their families can
11make education decisions that are best for each child; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Secretary DeVos called the plan to give students
13more educational choices without diverting money away from
14public schools a "bold proposal"; and
 
15    WHEREAS, In 2017, the Illinois General Assembly reached
16bipartisan agreement to implement the Evidence-Based Funding
17for Student Access Act, which dramatically changed the way
18Illinois funds education; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Included in the bipartisan compromise was the
20Invest in Kids Act, which established a tax credit for
21individuals and businesses that make a contribution to a

 

 

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1scholarship-granting organization, so that low-income students
2across the State are allowed to attend a school of their
3choice; and
 
4    WHEREAS, While the Invest in Kids Act is a five-year pilot
5program, Governor Pritzker's Administration has indicated they
6plan to end the Invest in Kids program as soon as possible;
7therefore, be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
9HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
10we urge the United States Congress to approve the Education
11Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act, so that children and
12their families are able to make decisions about education that
13are most beneficial; and be it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That we urge Governor Pritzker to allow the
15Invest in Kids Act to be in full effect for the five years of
16the pilot program as intended by this General Assembly upon
17passage of the Evidence-Based Funding for Student Success Act;
18and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20presented to each member of the Illinois Congressional
21Delegation and to Governor JB Pritzker.