LINCOLN- The battle over school choice returned to the Nebraska Legislature on Tuesday over a proposal to allocate $25 million a year directly from state coffers to organizations that hand out scholarships to private and parochial schools. LB1402, introduced by Sen. Linehan, is meant to act as a replacement for the Opportunity Scholarship Act passed last year.

Last year's law is scheduled to appear on the November general election ballot, where Nebraskans will have the opportunity to decide its future. Scott Norby, an attorney for the Nebraska State Education Association, said last year's law "does indirectly what LB1402 does directly--the funding of private schools with public dollars."

Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, who introduced last year's proposal as well, said LB1402 is "an end run" around the ballot initiative, which she argued was marred by misinformation. "They don't want the competition, folks," she told the members of the Legislature's Appropriations Committee, "It's so clear." She added that she would ask the Legislature to repeal the original Opportunity Scholarships Act if LB1402 passes this year.

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