Calling Josh Shapiro’s Voucher Bluff

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro disappointed thousands of parents on Thursday when he vetoed a $100 million voucher proposal he had supported before caving to unions and the Democratic-run House. But a pair of defections from anti-voucher ranks suggest the scholarships aren’t dead if Republicans use their legislative leverage.

Rep. Amen Brown, a Philadelphia Democrat, reinforced his support for school choice this week. “We have to give our parents another option and leave it in their hands to choose where they want their child to go,” he said on a radio program. “How much have we been dumping into the system and nothing has changed?”

As it happens, Philly spends more than $21,000 per student for failure factories where most students can’t read at their grade level. In 2021-22, 34% of Philadelphia students were proficient in English Language Arts and a horrific 15% in math. How can anyone defend results like that?

Mr. Brown’s comments come after Ryan Boyer, head of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, wrote in the Philadelphia Citizen that he’s “open to any solution that can help families better educate their children and get them ready to be productive members of society.” Mr. Boyer said he sends his son to a private school and would “be a hypocrite to oppose school choice.”

Though Gov. Shapiro signed a budget bill without the vouchers this week, the budget process isn’t over. The GOP-controlled Senate must draft and pass fiscal code legislation to implement a number of budget items, including several Democratic priorities. Republicans can use this opening to revive the scholarships by tieing them to the House’s wish list.

“Are we really going to put on hold the whole entire state because of $100 million, or are we going to say, you know what, ok, let’s take a step back and really weigh the options?” said Rep. Brown.

The Governor’s veto message left some wiggle room to recover from his humiliating capitulation to the unions on the choice bill he campaigned on last year: “Improving and expanding opportunities for children remains a priority for me, and I consider this to be unfinished business all parties must work together on as we move forward.”

A renewed push by Mr. Shapiro would give political cover to other Philadelphia Democrats who may be open to support the vouchers but are intimidated by union opposition. Keep the pressure on, Republicans. You have the moral, educational and political high ground.