IMPEACHMENT TRIAL IN WASHINGTON,
VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE CAME
TO THE WISCONSIN STATE CAPITOL
ON TUESDAY TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL
SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK IN THE STATE,
WHERE THE SCHOOL CHOICE MOVEMENT
BEGAN.
MARISA WOJCIK HAS THE STORY.
>> I'M HERE IN WISCONSIN BECAUSE
THIS IS WHERE IT ALL BEGAN.
30 YEARS AGO, GOVERNOR TOMMY
THOMPSON MADE HISTORY WHEN HE
CREATED THE FIRST SCHOOL CHOICE
PROGRAM IN AMERICA.
>> REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENT
MIKE PENCE AND U.S. EDUCATION
SECRETARY BETSY DEVOS BROUGHT
MESSAGES ABOUT SCHOOL CHOICE TO
THE WISCONSIN STATEHOUSE
TUESDAY.
>> WE HAVE A PRESIDENT AND A
VICE PRESIDENT WHO ARE CHAMPIONS
FOR STUDENTS, FOR PARENTS, FOR
EDUCATION FREEDOM.
>> THE EVENT, CONSIDERED TO BE
THE FIRST EVER IN THE CAPITOL
FOR A SITTING VICE PRESIDENT,
WAS AN OFFICIAL VISIT AND
PROMOTED A NEW EDUCATION PLAN
FROM THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
>> AND AS WE SPEAK, THE
PRESIDENT AND I ARE NOW WORKING
WITH THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION
AND MANY OF THE GREAT CHAMPIONS
HERE TO CREATE A NEW PROGRAM TO
PROVIDE MORE THAN $5 BILLION IN
SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAMS ACROSS
AMERICA.
>> BUT WISCONSIN DEMOCRATS ARE
TRYING TO UNDO SCHOOL CHOICE IN
WISCONSIN.
STARTING WITH GOVERNOR TONY
EVERS' FAILED ATTEMPT TO PHASE
OUT VOUCHER PROGRAMS IN HIS
FIRST BUDGET.
>> I LEARNED ON THE WAY HERE
THAT THERE'S A BILL BEING
INTRODUCED IN THE WISCONSIN
LEGISLATURE THAT WOULD ACTUALLY
PHASE OUT SCHOOL CHOICE IN THIS
STATE.
>> STATE REPRESENTATIVE JONATHAN
BROSTOFF, A MILWAUKEE DEMOCRAT,
ANNOUNCED HIS PLAN IMMEDIATELY
FOLLOWING THE SPEECH FROM THE
VICE PRESIDENT.
>> WE WANT TO LINE OUR
CLASSROOMS WITH QUALIFIED
TEACHERS.
THEY WANT TO LINE THEIR POCKETS
WITH PUBLIC DOLLARS.
>> THERE ARE 317 VOUCHER
PROGRAMS IN THE STATE, PRIMARILY
FOR RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS.
LAST YEAR THEY RECEIVED $351
MILLION IN STATE FUNDING.
THE WISCONSIN BUDGET PROJECT
SAYS THAT SINCE 2012 THE TOTAL
COST OF REDIRECTED STATE AID
FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO VOUCHER
SCHOOLS HAS RISEN 68%.
EVEN SO, THE PROJECT SAYS $351
MILLION REPRESENTS A RELATIVELY
SMALL SHARE OF OVERALL STATE AID
FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
>> ALLOW ME TO BRING GREETINGS
FROM ANOTHER FRIEND OF MINE.
>> EVEN THOUGH VICE PRESIDENT
MIKE PENCE WAS VISITING UNDER
OFFICIAL DUTIES, IT WAS CLEAR
THAT POLICY AND POLITICS WERE
CLOSELY INTERTWINED.
>> I'M HERE TO TELL YOU
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP STANDS
FOR SCHOOL CHOICE.
>> AFTER A DONALD TRUMP CAMPAIGN
RALLY IN MILWAUKEE TWO WEEKS
AGO, IT'S CLEAR WISCONSIN WILL
MAINTAIN THE BATTLE GROUND
SPOTLIGHT.
FOR "HERE AND NOW," I'M MARISA
WOJCIK.
>> ACCORDING TO THE WISCONSIN
BUDGET PROJECT, DESPITE RECENT
INCREASES, WISCONSIN'S PUBLIC
K-12 SCHOOL DISTRICTS STILL
RECEIVE LESS IN STATE AID THAN A
DECADE AGO BECAUSE OF TAX CUTS
AND DIVERSION OF FUNDING