The Alabama Senate is considering a bill Wednesday that would create a system to give tax credits to students who attend participating private schools.

Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wall on Monday predicted the bill would pass the Senate this week and urged lawmakers not to put a dollar cap on the program, as several education groups have called for.

“Republicans do not support imposing a monetary cap on school choice in Alabama,” Wall said in a statement. “We believe all students deserve access to a better education. The caps in this bill would be discriminatory to many Alabama students, leaving families who could otherwise be able to participate out in the cold. Such a system would be unfair and absolutely bad policy for any state.”

After the changes were made, at least three education groups responded that they were “neutral” on the bill during a House committee discussion two weeks ago.

But Amy Marlowe, executive director of the Alabama Education Association, said the association remains concerned about the bill's lack of a cap after it was passed by the House last week.

“The AEA has worked with other organizations in good faith to craft legislation that does not harm Alabama’s schools, but the majority of Alabamians, including Republicans, Democrats, and independents, are overwhelmed by unrestricted funding.” “It is important to note that we are against the “diversion of education trust funds for this program,'' Marlowe said. “As the bill moves to the Senate, we hope to continue our efforts to find common ground on this proposal, but the cap must be included in the bill to protect the future of local schools. , otherwise it should not be passed.”

Wahl said in a statement that Alabama parents must make decisions for their children “not government bureaucracies or school unions.”

Although Wahl did not directly mention the AEA in his statement, he has previously mistakenly referred to it as a teachers union.

In its current form, the bill calls for a minimum of $100 million for the program, which would provide up to $7,000 in annual tax credits for each eligible student. Homeschool students can receive up to $2,000 per student, with a maximum of two students per household during the year.

“We believe that every family should have the opportunity to receive a better education, and school choice is an important part of achieving that goal,” Wahl said. “It's time to give parents back control over their children's education.”

But supporters of the bill point out that it would likely only affect a small number of students who attend public schools and would overwhelmingly benefit students already enrolled in private education. ing.

It is unclear how the program will help the majority of participating families “get a better education,” as the vast majority of students will see no change in their education, but rather a change in their parents' financial resources.

Former Alabama Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan tweeted last week that data shows “only 2% of students transfer” from public schools.