Georgia lawmakers seek more tax credits for private school donations

A pair of Republican lawmakers from Marietta want to expand the tax credits that Georgia gives to folks who help bankroll private school scholarships.

“The program’s $58 million cap has been exceeded on the first day of applications for the past three years, and this year it was more than double. To the parents who have contributed to this program: we have heard you loud and clear. You absolutely want more school choice for Georgia’s kids,” said state Rep. John Carson in a written statement about his House Bill 217. His bill would raise the tax credit in steps to reach $180 million in 2022. State Rep. Sam Teasley, in his similar House Bill 236, would raise the cap to $150 million and subsequently build in automatic increases.

But the program they are trying to expand is the subject of a lawsuit. Lawyers for a group of taxpayers told the state Supreme Court in January that the tax credits are unconstitutional because they’re essentially tax money being spent on religious institutions, in this case religious private schools.

This story was originally published February 3, 2017 at 3:25 PM with the headline "Georgia lawmakers seek more tax credits for private school donations."