The most prominent defender of the crowded-school voucher plan, Rep. Carlos Lacasa of Miami, has no children. Two-thirds of the lawmakers surveyed, in fact, have no students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade. In Florida, the voucher debate encompasses more than money as lawmakers spar over accountability, safety and bureaucracy. The same thing is unfolding nationally, where 28 legislatures are considering voucher bills. National polling shows the public's support is growing for vouchers that require parents to pay part of the tab.
Views also vary depending upon how the plan is labeled.
That's why advocates refer to vouchers as grants or scholarships, terms less colored by controversy. The House, meanwhile, has passed both voucher expansion plans, but only one has a chance in the Senate. The bill will go to the full Senate soon. GOP Senate leaders don't like the bill because it has nothing to do with family income, a point Democrats make, too. Hightower, the PTA president, said she hopes it is significant that Bush has stayed silent on vouchers this session.