Idaho kills bill allowing public money for private education

By KEITH RIDLER
Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho House panel has rejected legislation that opponents said would have harmed education by transferring more than $1 billion of public money to private and religious schools. Supporters had said the measure would have boosted educational competition. The House Education Committee voted 8-7 on Tuesday to kill the bill that would have allowed qualifying families to get $6,000 per student from the state to pay for private private school tuition or private tutoring. Opponents say the measure would have vilolated the Idaho Constitution because it mandates a uniform state system of free public education. Some bill backers agreed but said they disagreed with the Idaho Constitution.