(Lincoln, NE) -- The Nebraska Legislature passes a bill that provides tax incentives for donating to private and parochial schools.
The bill, called the Opportunity Scholarships Act, passed on Wednesday. The bill, introduced by State Senator Louann Linehan, gives Nebraskans the chance to get a tax credit for donating to scholarship funds for private and parochial schools. The Opportunity Scholarships Act makes $25 million available for tax credits in 2024, 2025 and 2026. After that, the amount increases up to $100 million in available tax credits. The bill caps the amount an individual or business can receive in one year at $100,000. Estates and trusts are capped at $1 million per year.
Supporters of the bill, like Nebraska Family Alliance, say it won't take money away from public schools. “Today is an important, hard-fought victory for school choice in Nebraska. LB 753 puts power back into the hands of parents and will help more families have the choice to send their child to the school that best meets their needs and aligns with their values."
Opponents say the bill allows wealthy Nebraskans to not contribute to public schools. “The majority of Nebraskans oppose giving public tax dollars to private schools and have rejected such attempts at the ballot box three times previously,” said Jenni Benson, president of the Nebraska State Education Association. “Nebraska public schools educate 90% of all the kids in Nebraska. We need to keep our public schools strong. Other states that have bought into these tax voucher schemes ended up damaging their local public schools and communities. This is not the future we want for our young people in Nebraska nor our communities.”
Over the last five years, the Unicameral has considered similar measures, but failed in passing them.