For Immediate Release March 30, 2006 Contact: Robert Fanger O: 317-681-0745 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Arizona enacts corporate tuition tax credit, expands educational freedom for second consecutive year INDIANAPOLIS Up to 5,000 children in Arizona will now have the freedom to attend a school of their parents choice after Gov. Janet Napolitano allowed a corporate tuition tax credit bill to become law without her signature. After two years of struggle, Arizona parents finally can breathe a sigh of relief, said Gordon St. Angelo, president and CEO of the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation, one of the nations leading advocates of school vouchers. Thousands of children will no longer be forced to attend a school simply because of where they live or how much their family earns. Parents will now be free to choose a school based on whats best for their child. Senate Bill 1499 will create a corporate tax credit for businesses that donate to non-profit organizations that distribute private-school scholarships. The total credits are capped at $5 million annually and will allow scholarship organizations to provide vouchers to Arizona children whose family income does not exceed 185% of the income limit to quality for a free and reduced price lunch. The program, which provides vouchers worth up to $4,200 for K-8 and $5,500 for high school, includes a five year sunset provision. The dedication and leadership of Senate Majority Leader Ken Bennett and House Speaker Jim Weiers serves as an example not just in Arizona, but for the country, St. Angelo said. School choice does not happen overnight. But the tenacity of parents, opinion makers and legislators makes it happen eventually. The addition of this program complements the existing personal tax credit, which provides over 21,000 students with scholarships worth over $28 million. Other school choice programs, such as one similar to Floridas voucher program for children with special needs, are still being discussed in Arizona this session. Success happens when everyone works together, said Robert Enlow, executive director of the Friedman Foundation. The local and national groups that have forged partnerships in Arizona have been a tremendous asset to the effort to provide greater educational freedom for children. This is the second year in a row that Arizona passed a school choice bill and the second year in a row that a Democrat governor allowed a school choice bill to become law. Arizona really is a state of choice; the only thing left for the state to do is pass a universal voucher program for all children, added Enlow. ### About The Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation Dubbed the nations leading voucher advocates by The Wall Street Journal, the Milton & Rose D. Friedman Foundation was started by Nobel laureate Dr. Milton Friedman and Dr. Rose D. Friedman in 1996 as a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about the role competition plays in achieving real K-12 education reform. One American Square, Suite 2420 Indianapolis, IN 46282 Phone: 317-681-0745 www.friedmanfoundation.org If do not wish to receive future e-mails like these, please reply to this message with unsubscribe in the subject line. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ForumWebSiteAt http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
