For Immediate Release

Contact: Sharon Cherubin, 717.413.3973, www.UNITEPA.org

                Don Adams, 215.620.3055, www.IndependenceHallTeaParty.com

PA Coalition Opposes Ammended Comprehensive Version of SB1;

Says New Poll Shows Public Opposes Voucher Component of Bill

Harrisburg, PA (November 10, 2011) -- Buoyed by a newly released poll, the Grass Roots Coalition for Real School Choice, comprised of 22 Tea Party and Conservative groups representing tens of thousands of Pennsylvania voters, announced, today, its opposition to the amended SB1 which narrowly passed the PA Senate two weeks ago.

"Within 24 hours of adding 60 pages of amendments to SB1, the State Senate rushed to pass the comprehensive legislation backed by Gov. Tom Corbett and his Administration," said Sharon Cherubin, Executive Director of UNITEPA and spokeswoman for the Coalition.  "We were still analyzing the bill until a few days ago.

"After a very careful review of the ammended SB1, we have come to the conclusion that the voucher component of the bill is completely unacceptable--mostly because the latest version still discriminates against working poor and middle income families," Cherubin said. 

"As it currently stands, the voucher program is nothing more than an entitlement program--our initial objections from last Spring have been ignored by both the Senate and the Corbett Administration.

"The recently released Pulse Opinion Research poll of 500 likely voters shows that 78% would support a broad-based school choice bill that includes all income levels--a clear indication that if voters understood the voucher component of SB1, they would overwhelmingly oppose it. 

"A clear majority, 59%, would choose a tax credit system over a voucher system," said Don Adams, co-founder of the Independence Hall Tea Party Association, which helped form the Coalition.

"And the Coalition does support the Educational Improvement Tax Credit component of the bill, otherwise known as HB 1330.  We believe that the EITC, Charter School, and Teacher Assessment provisions of SB1 should be offered in separate individual bills--not in one comprehensive package."      

"We also support Rep. Curt Schroder's Failing Schools Student Resue Act, HB 1679, because it would provide a $5000 voucher to every child attending the Commonwealth's 143 persistently failing public schools regardless of family income."  

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To view the published results of the Pulse Opinion Research poll, please visit www.UNITEPA.org.