Nebraska Democrat supports school choice bill, says his community ‘can’t wait another generation’

Support for school choice spans the political, demographic and geographic spectrums — polling shows us this, personal stories show us this — but can become more one-sided among policymakers, legislators, and state leaders. There is a disconnect between what families want and what those in office are willing to prioritize.

Which is why I think it is important to point out examples of state leaders bucking political trends, showing it is possible to work together despite differences.

Last week I shared an example from Louisiana, and this week’s is from Nebraska.

Nebraska Democrat Sen. Justin Wayne recently supported a school choice bill that, if passed, would provide scholarships to eligible students for use toward tuition at eligible nonpublic schools and other related costs associated with attending the school.

“My community can’t wait another generation of hope for their children to have a high quality education. Those parents are reaching out and trying to figure out what is best. … People are looking for an alternative. And if we care about kids, if we say we want what’s best for kids, then get rid of the politics of it and let’s just give them a chance.”

The Nebraska scholarships would prioritize low-income students, special education students, and those from foster or military families. Minnesota nearly passed similar tax-credit scholarship legislation in 2017, which had bipartisan support, but it failed at the 11th hour and encountered determined resistance from then-Gov. Mark Dayton.