Governor Roy Cooper posted a new video emphasizing his call for a moratorium on North Carolina’s private-school voucher expansion, but it’s not likely to sway state lawmakers. Cooper can’t run for re-election because of term limits.
The two-term Democratic governor is putting in a lot of energy in his final year in office arguing that the General Assembly’s expansion of Opportunity Scholarships undermines public schools.
"Our public schools are at risk, because the legislature is trying to dismantle them," he said, "They plan to spend $4 billion of your taxpayer money on private school tuition with no income limit."
Last year the General Assembly approved a budget that allots $3.6 billion for Opportunity Scholarships over the next nine years, reaching half a billion dollars a year by 2031. Lawmakers removed the income cap for eligibility.
Cooper says that money comes without adequate oversight. Supporters say it’s up to parents to choose what kind of academic — and possibly religious — agenda they want for their kids.
Republicans have a veto-proof majority, and there’s no reason to think they’d reverse their decision to keep expanding vouchers. Demand for 2024 scholarships is high.