Democratic Gov Announces That He Will Veto School Choice Program

Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Wednesday that he will line-item veto a school choice proposal in an effort to get the state budget across the finish line.

Shapiro announced his veto after Democratic state Rep. Matt Bradford notified the governor that the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success program (PASS) did not have enough support in the state House to pass, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The $100 million school voucher program, aimed to support low-income families, passed the Republican-controlled state Senate as a part of the $45.6 billion state budget bill in June.

“Over the weekend, Leader Bradford requested a legal memo from the Office of General Counsel, which confirmed that without enabling legislation setting up this program, my Administration legally cannot implement it,” Shapiro said in the press release.