Rep. Jason Brown from Platte City hasn’t come out with his support for HB 1886, and for me this is a must-have vote, and I’d like to hear what all of our Missouri Legislators have to say about this boon for families with special needs children.
His website has this inspiring quote:
“The legislative process never ceases to amaze me. From the overwhelming number of ideas introduced each session, through numerous committee hearings, by debate on the House and Senate floors, and from the thoughtful communications of private citizens like you, there emerges public policy designed to respond to the changing needs of most of Missouri’s citizens but still sensitive to their concerns. As this regular session of the 93rd General Assembly ends, I am reminded that in a democracy when ideas are shared, the result is much greater than the sum of individual contributions.”
It seems to me that HB 1886 is the confluence of these values. It is a scholarship tax credit, and that’s something Missouri has not tried when responding to the changing needs of education across Missouri and within families. Parents have communicated stories about having to move to district after district, uprooting their families and lives, in an attempt to meet the needs of their disabled child. Some families feel torn between different abilities of two children, and other families have had to spend beyond their means for private instruction. Parents have testified to the importance of having flexibility. Legislators have shaped a bill that reflects those family voices, concerns from school districts about losing too many students (I’m not too concerned about that, given history in other states, but an amendment placing 10% cap on all IEP students was added to assuage that concern).
Given all of this, I hope to see that Rep. Jason Brown is nodding yes. If you’re in Platte City and want to make sure your voice is heard on this issue, call Brown at (573) 751-6593.
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