Wolf says he will veto bill to expand tax credits for private, religious school scholarships

Gov. Tom Wolf will veto a bill to expand a tax credit program that funds private and religious school scholarships, he told the Capital-Star on Wednesday.

“I’ve seen enough to know that this is not something I think is good for Pennsylvania,” Wolf said after an event in Philadelphia.

The legislation, sponsored by House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, would increase the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program budget from $110 million to $210 million immediately after passage — the largest single-year increase since the program was created in 2001.

Under the bill, the program cap would also increase by 10 percent in years where 90 percent of the credits are claimed.

“It distracts from what we ought to be focusing on, which is educating every child through our public school system,” Wolf said Wednesday.

Bill that nearly doubles size of tax credit program for private school scholarships heading to Wolf’s desk

The House passed the legislation 111-85 in May, while the Senate voted 28-21 to approve the bill on Tuesday.

Currently, there is not enough support in either chamber to override a veto from Wolf.

“As the governor knows, we are preparing to increase our funding for public education in the forthcoming budget, and the increase in EITC funding is an appropriate complement to that investment in our public schools,” Turzai said in a statement after the bill’s passage in the upper chamber.