Josh Shapiro’s School Choice Sellout

So much for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s gutsy support for school choice. After backing a Senate proposal for school vouchers for K-12 students—one of his 2022 campaign promises—the Democratic Governor caved this week to his party and the unions and will nix the scholarships from the state budget.

“We stand at an impasse largely over one provision of this budget,” Gov. Shapiro said in a Wednesday statement, adding that Democratic House Majority Leader Matthew Bradford “has made clear” the vouchers do not have “the support of the House.” Mr. Bradford has only a one-seat majority but nearly all Republicans back vouchers. Rather than keep the pressure on, Gov. Shapiro gave Democrats cover by promising to kill the scholarships with his line-item veto.

What an embarrassing surrender. The $100 million scholarship plan would have helped lower-income students in the state’s worst-performing district schools find other education options. Students in K-8 would have received $5,000, high-schoolers $10,000, and special-needs students $15,000 vouchers for private school tuition and related expenses. EdChoice polling finds that 63% of Pennsylvania residents support school vouchers.

Republicans who run the state Senate made several concessions to the Governor on the vouchers, including creating a separate fund for them that wouldn’t touch public-school money. They also set an income-eligibility cap of 250% of the federal poverty line.

All they got in return is a lousy promise from Mr. Bradford to “carefully examine and consider” school choice options. The Majority Leader has promised hearings, but Senate Republicans know they’ve been sold out.

“Governor Shapiro has decided to betray the good faith agreement we reached,” said a statement from Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Scott Martin. “It is a shame the governor does not have enough respect and standing within his own party to follow through with his promise.” Shame is the right word.

They also point out that the budget process isn’t over. The Legislature must pass additional “enabling” legislation to implement new programs funded by the budget. This includes programs that are priorities for Democrats.

“If they pull out our priorities and the Governor’s priority, you’re going to see a very slimmed-down, scaled-back budget,” said Ms. Ward when the Senate budget passed, according to the Daily Item. “There were a lot of things in this budget that we didn’t really want to do. If they send it back without something, the agreement is null and void.” Let’s hope Republicans repay Democrats in kind.

Why did Mr. Shapiro sell out? His excuse about the Democratic Legislature doesn’t wash since he should be at the height of his political clout and he only needed to turn a vote or two in his own party. The more likely reason is that he was squeezed by the teachers unions. The Governor has presidential ambitions, and passing school choice would have put him on Randi Weingarten’s

The Governor hasn’t renounced his support for school choice, but what matters is what he does in office. Mr. Shapiro has covered his political posterior at the expense of the most vulnerable children in the state.