Moore, Pocan Push To Repeal School Choice Tax Credit
Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act would undo a key piece of last year’s budget bill.
U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore and U.S. Rep Mark Pocan.
Wisconsin’s congressional Democrats are calling for the federal scholarship tax credit to be repealed.
During a press conference in Washington D.C. on Thursday, U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore and U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan joined their colleagues to introduce the Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act.
The bill would repeal the Educational Choice for Children Act, which was included in the reconciliation bill known as the “Big Beautiful Bill” passed by Congress last summer.
“I hail from Wisconsin, we’re part of the first private school voucher program in the country,” Moore said. “It disproportionately benefits wealthy students who already attend private schools, and they sap monies from our public schools, which disproportionately and especially hurts rural students and students with disabilities. Voucher schemes even worsened segregation in our schools.”
Unlike Wisconsin’s existing voucher program, the Educational Choice for Children Act isn’t a direct voucher.
Instead the federal program will operate a federal tax credit allowing people to receive up to a $1,700 credit for donating to nonprofit scholarship-granting organizations. These groups can then distribute the money.
Gov. Tony Evers vetoed legislation in March that would have required Wisconsin to opt into the federal program when it begins in 2027.
As of May 30, more than 30 states have opted in.
Wisconsin’s Republican delegation, including Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany, wrote a letter to Evers in October 2025 urging him to support joining the program.
“These funds can be used for a variety of vital educational needs, including tuition, school supplies, support services for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and transportation,” Tiffany’s website says. “Opting out will mean denying Wisconsin families access to this assistance.”
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Missy Hughes has also indicated she would support joining.
“We need to unlock every resource possible for our children and teachers. When politicians failed to get a deal done for Wisconsin schools, that 80% of Wisconsinites supported, students were the ones left behind,” Hughes said in a press release.“Our responsibility is to pursue every available opportunity that can help Wisconsin children succeed.”
But Pocan called the program a “grift” from the “Grifter in Chief.”
“By doing this tax credit, we know that 75 percent of the people who get any of this benefit already attended the school,” Pocan said. “It’s not like you’re encouraging education in any way, it’s just you’re giving a tax break to some of the wealthiest.”
Source: FutureED
Wisconsin congressional Democrats want to repeal national voucher for education was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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