In Virginia, Governor Glenn Youngkin (R-Va.), took a major step towards restoring parental rights in education, announcing that he would restore the state’s school choice program and expand education opportunities for parents throughout the commonwealth.
As reported by Fox News, Governor Youngkin made the announcement on Wednesday, releasing a statement that detailed his “38 budget amendments” to two different budget bills.
“We’re … restoring educational freedom by protecting the education scholarship tax credits which expand parental choice,” Youngkin’s statement declared. The amendment in question will remove the reduction in the cap for the state’s Education Improvement Scholarship Tax Credit (EISTC), a program which offers support for low- and middle-income families. Families who utilize the program are given greater opportunities to send their children to school by using private scholarships from private organizations.
The budget amendments will be considered by the Virginia General Assembly on Friday, when the legislature reconvenes.
The budget amendments mark Youngkin’s latest stand on educational freedom and parental rights in education, which was a cornerstone of his successful campaign for governor last year, when he defeated former Governor Terry McCauliffe (D-Va.) in an upset victory. Among other aspects, then-candidate Youngkin focused on COVID-era restrictions on schools such as mask and vaccine mandates, as well as far-left indoctrination efforts through subject matters such as Critical Race Theory and transgenderism, vowing to fight back against all of these things if elected.
“Our goal is that every student will graduate from high school ready to go to college or start a great career. Choice and innovation within public education is vital to achieving that goal,” Youngkin said in a statement posted to his website. “We must empower parents and students with choice and innovation in K-12 public education.”