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Concord, N.H. - Today, the Republican-controlled New Hampshire House of Representatives voted to pass SB193, a school voucher bill that would give taxpayer money to unregulated, unaccountable private and religious schools. NHDP Chair Ray Buckley issued the following statement: "Governor Sununu's SB193 school voucher bill is an irresponsible, fundamentally unfair bill that violates our obligation to treat all students equally. It means private and religious schools that are under no obligation to follow state or federal education standards would receive our taxpayer dollars. It means students with disabilities would be subject to schools that are ill-equipped to take on their unique challenges. It means that parents of transgender students would have to give their taxpayer money to schools that ban their children. The bill promises additional revenue to make up for the losses public schools would inevitably incur, but we've yet to see where this money will come from. Will Sununu and the Republicans raise our taxes just to give more money to private and religious schools or will they take money away from crucial services that so many depend on? SB193 is a key part of Governor Sununu & Commissioner Frank Edelblut's attempt to overhaul the New Hampshire education system, moving the focus away from public schools. They should focus instead on growing and strengthening our public schools to make sure every student has a chance to succeed."
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