Wednesday, October 24, 2007

With voucher support still lagging in the polls and the referendum election to decide whether the law approving them will be repealed or go into effect less than two weeks away, some Republican advocates are planning to get the party's official support for vouchers in an effort to turn the tide.

The Republican State Central Committee will consider a resolution endorsing vouchers during it's next meeting on Nov. 3. That is just three days before the election, so voucher supporters are hoping a party endorsement could spark one last media push if the Central Committee approves the resolution.

The voucher law was passed by the dominant Republican majority in the last legislative session and the Democratic Party, including the Democrats in the Legislature, has been united in opposing vouchers. So the issue already has been divided down party lines. The fact that polls show an overwhelming majority opposing vouchers in a state considered the most Republican in the country, however, indicates that many Republicans oppose vouchers as well.

Whether a last-minute endorsement by the party's representative body is enough to swing the vote remains to be seen. It also isn't a sure thing that the Central Committee will vote to make an official endorsement, although many of the party's leaders have come out in favor of vouchers.

Cheers,
Paul Rolly