The Indiana House Education Committee voted along party lines on Wednesday 7-4 to take oversight of the state voucher program away from the state’s new superintendent of public instruction, Democrat Glenda Ritz, and turn it over to the state’s Office of Management and Budget, which is controlled by Republican Gov. Mike Pence.
Now, that is a lot of words to describe what should not even be an issue, given that Indiana has established guidelines for distributing vouchers that allow Indiana schoolchildren to attend private or religious schools. Democrats contend that Republicans are playing politics by attempting to take what little authority the superintendent has in state government. Republicans control both houses of the legislature, the governor’s office and all other state executive offices. And there might be something to that.
On the other hand, the voucher program remains for now under the superintendent’s oversight, and based on appearances, there may be some foot-dragging afoot. Last year, under then-Superintendent Tony Bennett, he opened the voucher application process in February for parents considering sending their children to private or religious schools in the fall.
It is no secret that Ritz, a former public school librarian, opposed vouchers, and at one time was a party to a lawsuit seeking to end the voucher program. She has since withdrawn from the suit.
According to the Associated Press, John Barnes, Ritz’s legislative liaison, said the delay in starting the application process is due to transitioning into the office, and that the application process should soon begin.
Good. Whether this issue is about politics or policy differences, or both, give Hoosier parents a break and open up the application process now.