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Senate committee reportedly to cut vouchers from Bush plan

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WASHINGTON (BP)–The U.S. Senate’s committee on education apparently will report out a legislative version of President Bush’s education plan that will not include vouchers.

Sen. James Jeffords, R.-Vt., chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, agreed to leave out Bush’s voucher’s provisions in order to avoid a fight on the panel, The Washington Times reported March 7. The committee may vote on the bill this week, according to news reports.

If there is a battle over vouchers in the Senate, it may be fought on the floor, possibly as early as the week of March 12-16, according to The Times.

As a part of his education plan, the president has proposed vouchers for students in sub-par public schools that fail to improve. Parents who receive vouchers would be able to use them at other public schools or at private schools, including religious ones. Teachers unions and church-state separationist organizations are especially opposed to the proposal.
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