The bill for universal school vouchers is moving forward despite some concerns from Gov. Ron DeSantis.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida. The universal school voucher bill made steady progress on Wednesday, gaining the approval of two more committees, but the governor has some reservations.

The GOP Plan aims to provide private tuition scholarships to any Florida student, regardless of income or ability. Even those who are homeschooled can get funding.

But after his speech on Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis had some concerns about the current versions of the bill, which could benefit many who can already afford private tuition.

“If you have a very high-income family, they already have a choice of schools,” DeSantis said. “They don’t have to be eligible for the program.”

The governor said the issue was not necessarily a “deal violation.” However, Republican supporters are likely to take note. Having a governor on their side might be better than risking a veto.

“I feel perfectly comfortable saying that if everyone in Florida who can afford it can live on their own without getting a scholarship — and everyone who can’t gets a scholarship — it’s still universal for me,” DeSantis said. .

A study of a similar program in Arizona found that about 80% of its participants were already paying for private lessons. The sponsor, R-Tallahassee Sen. Cory Simon, did not hear the governor’s concerns, but noted that the bill is still in the pipeline.

In fact, Republicans in the Senate pushed him through an appropriations subcommittee on Wednesday, despite the fact that he didn’t have a cost estimate. Some nonprofits believe it could reach $4 billion, while the House estimate is much smaller, at around $210 million.

“We continue to prioritize those students who make up 185% of the poverty rate. These students will receive priority,” Simon said. “At the end of the day, we want to fund those students who study in our school system. We are responsible for this. We will continue to work on this.”

However, the bill is not a start for many Democrats. They remain concerned that the plan is prioritizing private institutions that do not apply state standards and that the expansion will require too much funding from public schools.

“As long as public schools are still in a quandary where they feel they are getting the short end of the stick — which in this case they are — then no, I can’t support that,” the senator said. said Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens.

The bill is then sent to the House of Representatives for discussion and debate. The Senate version still needs to be agreed with another committee. Simon hopes that by then he will finally have a cost estimate to discuss.

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