LINCOLN- On Thursday, the Nebraska Legislature voted to advance Sen. Linehan's LB753, which would adopt the Opportunity Scholarships Act and allow state dollars to go towards private or parochial schools. The bill, which some call "school choice" legislation, estimates in its fiscal note that around 5,000 Nebraska students could switch to private school if it's passed. The bill, in its first year, would allow for $25 million a year in tax credits, but that number could eventually rise to $100 million later on.

If that happens, the state would be spending more on the Opportunity Scholarship Program than it does on the State Patrol, which costs around $80 million a year. Advocates of the bill stated that it would allow many more Nebraska students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, the opportunity to attend a private school if they should so choose. "This bill allows children to find the best school that fits their needs, even if they can't afford tuition," said Sen. Linehan, who has worked for seven years to pass such legislation.

Despite the bill's passage, Sens. George Dungan and John Cavanaugh questioned the constitutionality of the proposal, since the Nebraska State Constitution prohibits public funding from being provided to religious institutions, which many private schools are. However, Sen. Linehan argued that the bill is not an appropriation of funds to private institutions, but rather a tax credit system. "It's not an appropriation if we never collect the money," she told her colleagues.

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