State legislators left Springfield on Thursday with no action taken to extend the Invest in Kids Tax Credit Scholarship Program. Upon adjournment, State Senator Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) issued the following statement:
“We came to Springfield this fall to save Invest in Kids so the program could become permanent. Democrats who speak a great deal about equality in this state had an opportunity to ensure low-income students had equal access to a quality education, yet failed to do so. Many of these same legislators send their own kids to private schools, yet had no problem robbing their own constituents of that same opportunity. It’s shameful.
“Parents are now going to have to make some very difficult decisions regarding school placement for their kids for the second half of the school year. For many, the choice is already made; their kids will have no option other than to return to the school that was failing them prior to their receipt of an Invest in Kids tuition scholarship. Every Republican, Senate and House, wanted to lift the sunset date and make Invest in Kids permanent. The Democrats own this disaster.”