Pennsylvania governor drops school voucher push over opposition from teachers unions

Pennsylvania Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro says he plans on dropping his push for private school vouchers from the state budget amid opposition from teachers unions and members of his own party.

The budget passed the state House and Senate on Wednesday after discussions had been deadlocked on the $100 million voucher program, local outlet Spotlight PA reported. 

Shapiro as well as Senate Republicans had supported the voucher program, but Pennsylvania House Democratic leadership did not and refused to act on the Senate's budget bill. 

"Knowing that the two chambers will not reach consensus at this time to enact [the voucher program], and unwilling to hold up our entire budget process over this issue, I will line-item veto the full $100 million appropriation and it will not be part of this budget bill," Shapiro said.

The voucher program would have created scholarships for qualifying students in certain public school districts to attend private schools.

Teachers unions, such as the Pennsylvania State Education Association and the state chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, fiercely opposed the plan. 

"So-called lifeline scholarships are vouchers packaged up to make elected officials feel better about taking money away from public schools," AFT Pennsylvania President Arthur Steinberg said.

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.