The 2010 Legislature is considering a plan that would make significant improvements to the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program. This page is devoted to keeping you up to date with the progress, and it will provide links to bills, analysis, factsheets, news and editorial coverage. The legislative session begins March 2 and ends April 30.

Bills and Related Documents

• Feb. 10: HB 1009 (Filed by Rep. Will Weatherford)
• Feb. 11: Factsheet on HB 1009, SB 2126 amended (Step Up For Students, updated)
• Feb. 11: Tax Credit Scholarships: Let the evidence speak (TaxWatch Ideas)
• Feb. 11: Statement from Gov. Charlie Crist (2010-11 Proposed Budget)
• Feb. 11: Statement from Education Commissioner (Department of Education)
• Feb. 18: SB 2126 (Filed by Sen. Joe Negron)
• March 12: Committee Substitute for SB 2126 (Senate Finance and Tax)
• March 12: Revenue Estimating Conference Impact statement on CS/SB 2126 (Office of Economic and Demographic Research)
• March 15: Staff analysis for CS/SB 2126 (Senate Finance and Tax Committee) 

News Coverage

• Feb. 11: Plan bumps up vouchers (St. Petersburg Times)
• Feb. 11: Bill would expand 'corporate scholarships,' add more financial, academic accountability (Orlando Sentinel School Zone)
• Feb. 12: Lawmakers may consider expansion of voucher program (Treasure Coast Palm Newspapers)
• Feb. 12: Proposal would expand voucher program (Florida News Service)
• Feb. 17: Legislature to consider class size, replacing FCAT (Associated Press)
• Feb. 18: Vouchers are a civil rights issue (St. Petersburg Times Gradebook)
• Feb. 20: A weekend interview with Shannon Coates, a Florida school voucher recipient (St. Petersburg Times Gradebook)
• Feb. 25: Expansions of state voucher programs gain momentum (Education Week)
• March 4: As public schools face cuts, vouchers may get big boost (Orlando Sentinel)
• March 15: Florida voucher bill gets a little less sweeping (St. Petersburg Times Gradebook)
• March 16: Florida voucher expansion bill advancing (Associated Press)
• March 16: Effort to expand voucher program moves forward (St. Petersburg Times Gradebook)
• March 16: Full steam ahead for school voucher expansion (Palm Beach Post)
• March 17: Senate bills would reduce scholarships, boost private school vouchers (Palm Beach Post)
• March 17: Bill increasing voucher money passes Senate committee (Tampa Tribune)

Commentaries

• Feb. 12: Editorial: Voucher bill will help kids, taxpayers (Tampa Tribune)
• Feb. 13: Vicki Murray: Expanding educational opportunity in the Sunshine State (Independent Women's Forum)
• Feb. 16: Mike Thomas: Don't let any school skate on standards (Orlando Sentinel)
• Feb. 16: Rev. H.K. Matthews: Tax Credit Scholarships for at-risk students extend civil rights (Florida Thinks)
• Feb. 17: Editorial: Expand opportunities (Panama City News-Herald)
• Feb. 17: Sherman Dorn: Eye-popping proposal to expand tax-credit vouchers (Sherman Dorn blog)
• Feb. 18: Editorial: Expanding school voucher is a bad idea (St. Petersburg Times)
• Feb. 19: Meredith Clark: Alternatives in education create a brighter future (Tallahassee Democrat)
• Feb. 20: A weekend interview with Shannon Coates, a Florida school voucher recipient (St. Petersburg Times Gradebook)
• Feb. 21: Doug Tuthill: Tax Credit Scholarship program gives students a second chance (Naples Daily News)
• Feb. 21: Jon East reponds on corporate tax-credit voucher expansion (Sherman Dorn blog)
• Feb. 22: Letter: Don't shut the door to school options (St. Petersburg Times)
• Feb. 22: Rep. Bill Heller: Scholarships for poor children are in the best tradition of our commitment to equal educational opportunity (St. Petersburg Times)
• Feb. 26: Doug Tuthill: Proposed legislation would strengthen Florida's school voucher program (Scripps Treasure Suncoast newspapers)
• Feb. 27: John Kirtley: Changes to Tax Credit Scholarships have bipartisan support (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)
• March 1: Bill Maxwell: Voucher plan gives students a chance (St. Petersburg Times)
• March 3: Editorial: Scholarships -- More support is justified (Florida Times-Union)
• March 4: Bill, HB 1009, to help costs of education (Orlando Times)
• March 8: Rep. Ronald Brise: Give poor families more choices (Miami Herald)
• March 11: Letter: Vouchers can help at-risk kids blossom (Orlando Sentinel)

Independent Evaluations of Tax Credit Scholarship Program

• 2002: Collins Center report
• 2003: Florida TaxWatch report
• 2007: Collins Center fiscal analysis
• 2008: OPPAGA fiscal and tax analysis
• 2009: University of Florida report on test score gains

Previous Tax Credit Scholarship Legislation:

• 2001: Original bill
• 2006: Accountability provisions
• 2008: Expansion bill
• 2009: Strengthen the program

Step Up for Students Press materials

Our Cause	Scholarship Snapshot
How the Program Works	What People are Saying
The Program's History	Meet our Chairman and President

Download: 2008 Annual Report
View video: 2007 Choice Rally on Capitol
National View: 2008-09 School Choice Yearbook