Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is being considered as a potential Democratic vice-presidential nominee, but his support for taxpayer-funded private school vouchers has raised eyebrows within his party. Despite his recent public backing of vouchers, Shapiro did not advocate for them during his two-decade political career prior to becoming governor last year.
Shapiro’s push for vouchers has drawn criticism from fellow Democrats and influential unions, who supported his candidacy. He has tried to emphasize that any voucher program he supports should not take money away from public education. Throughout his time in office, Shapiro has increased funding for public education, but behind the scenes, he has worked to convince fellow Democrats to support vouchers, to the confusion of many of his colleagues.
Sources indicate that Shapiro’s newfound support for vouchers may be connected to his relationship with prominent school choice advocates, including billionaire Joel Greenberg, who has been involved in bankrolling the school choice movement in Pennsylvania. Greenberg served on Shapiro’s gubernatorial transition team, focusing on education policy.
Shapiro’s support for vouchers led to a recent budget impasse in Pennsylvania after he agreed to veto voucher funding in exchange for other budgetary items. Despite facing criticism and pushback, Shapiro has maintained his stance on vouchers, calling for the legislature to reconsider the issue. While his support for vouchers has not gone unnoticed, it remains to be seen how this controversial issue will impact his political future.
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