LINCOLN- On Wednesday, Senator Lou Ann Linehan's LB753, a bill that would adopt the Opportunity Scholarships Act, passed through its first round of debate on a 31-12 vote, a move some are calling another conservative victory in Nebraska. The advancement of LB753 marks the first time in state history that a "school choice" bill has moved forward in the Nebraska Legislature. The vote to end the several-day filibuster blocking the bill passed narrowly on a 33-12 vote, gaining just barely the 33 votes required to end it.

Brian Mikkelsen, the political action director of NSEA, a large state teachers union, pledged during the hearing that, if the bill eventually passes, he will recommend that public school proponents mount a petition drive to put the issue on the ballot. "The perception that this is popular with voters is a complete misnomer," said Mikkelsen.

LB753 specifically provides a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for money donated to an organization that provides scholarships for students attending private and parochial schools. The bill is one of many that are included in Gov. Pillen's ambitious package of education proposals, and would provide $25 million a year in tax credits, with the potential to increase up to $100 million a year in the event that the yearly credit amount is used.

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