Save the Journalists, but Not the Children! General Assembly 24LifeConstitutional Government Feb 1 Written By Todd Gathje Every General Assembly prioritizes certain issues during a legislative session. If you pay attention close enough, however, you’ll notice what the Democrat majority values more. That’s exactly what happened this week in a House finance subcommittee when legislators made a remarkable admission of values when it voted to approve a tax credit for newspapers and journalists, but not for an adoption tax credit to help loving families give children a loving home. The bill, HB 961 (D-Lopez), would allow a tax credit up to $5,000 towards compensation for new journalists, or up to $4,000 for media and advertising expenses, not to exceed $5 million each taxable.A tax credit to save journalists and newspapers!In that same committee not one (not one!) legislator made a motion to report a bill that would’ve created a tax credit for families who adopt a child, giving them a forever home. When the chairwoman called for someone from the committee to make a motion to take some kind of action on the bill, nobody spoke up. The bill failed for lack of a motion.Delegate Anne Tata’s (R-Virginia Beach) bill HB 810 would have created a nonrefundable $4,000 tax credit for families who adopt a non-family child, providing the family the ability to offset some of the costs and, more importantly, give a deserving child a forever home. Virginia could have joined 17 states like California, Illinois, Wisconsin, and others, that provide tax credits for families who adopt.A recent Department of Social Services report, from July 2021 to June 2022, showed that over 900 children were adopted around the state. The DSS also reports that 5,240 children are in foster care, of which 2,964 are placed in non-family foster homes. The Virginia Commission on Youth has made improving the foster care system a major focus.House Bill 810 would have not only helped families grow, provide children a forever home, it would have also reduced costs by lessening the burden on administrative agencies, reducing crime, and sending more young adults into the workforce.But legislators ignored all of those points and turned down an opportunity to help families while trying to prop-up journalists. They sent the message that these failing progressive journalists and news outlets are more important than young children who simply want a family to call their own.Not to be outdone, a House Education committee on k-12 education, defeated three bills – HB 1164 (R-Scott), HB 667 (R-Freitas) and HB 1296 (R-Griffin) – that would have allowed parents to use the amount of state funding for a particular school to be used for education expenses, including tuition, deposits, fees, and required textbooks at a private elementary school or secondary school that is located in the Commonwealth.During that committee hearing legislators heard bills that sought to address shortages in school transportation, disciplinary issues within public schools, upgrades to school buildings to address evacuation problems, and chronic absenteeism, extolling all the issues within the public school system. However when it comes to investing in a student’s education, and not a brick-and-mortar, by giving them the simple opportunity to find a school they like better, the committee shut down those initiatives.During public testimony a representative from the VEA made the outlandish statement that public schools are outperforming private schools. If indeed that is the case, then what is the strong opposition to allow some families have an option to find something different? We know the answer to that – continue to prop-up the public school system that has failed students and families for far too long. Kids deserve more now! So, journalists, newspapers, and funding public school buildings (instead of children) is far more important than helping families and the children themselves.I guess the new majority needs progressive journalists to defend the deficiencies of the public education system from growing and successful private school market that is giving young kids opportunities to leave the one-size-fits-all school for something better meets their education needs. General Assembly 24LifeConstitutional Government Todd Gathje
Save the Journalists, but Not the Children! General Assembly 24LifeConstitutional Government Feb 1 Written By Todd Gathje Every General Assembly prioritizes certain issues during a legislative session. If you pay attention close enough, however, you’ll notice what the Democrat majority values more. That’s exactly what happened this week in a House finance subcommittee when legislators made a remarkable admission of values when it voted to approve a tax credit for newspapers and journalists, but not for an adoption tax credit to help loving families give children a loving home. The bill, HB 961 (D-Lopez), would allow a tax credit up to $5,000 towards compensation for new journalists, or up to $4,000 for media and advertising expenses, not to exceed $5 million each taxable.A tax credit to save journalists and newspapers!In that same committee not one (not one!) legislator made a motion to report a bill that would’ve created a tax credit for families who adopt a child, giving them a forever home. When the chairwoman called for someone from the committee to make a motion to take some kind of action on the bill, nobody spoke up. The bill failed for lack of a motion.Delegate Anne Tata’s (R-Virginia Beach) bill HB 810 would have created a nonrefundable $4,000 tax credit for families who adopt a non-family child, providing the family the ability to offset some of the costs and, more importantly, give a deserving child a forever home. Virginia could have joined 17 states like California, Illinois, Wisconsin, and others, that provide tax credits for families who adopt.A recent Department of Social Services report, from July 2021 to June 2022, showed that over 900 children were adopted around the state. The DSS also reports that 5,240 children are in foster care, of which 2,964 are placed in non-family foster homes. The Virginia Commission on Youth has made improving the foster care system a major focus.House Bill 810 would have not only helped families grow, provide children a forever home, it would have also reduced costs by lessening the burden on administrative agencies, reducing crime, and sending more young adults into the workforce.But legislators ignored all of those points and turned down an opportunity to help families while trying to prop-up journalists. They sent the message that these failing progressive journalists and news outlets are more important than young children who simply want a family to call their own.Not to be outdone, a House Education committee on k-12 education, defeated three bills – HB 1164 (R-Scott), HB 667 (R-Freitas) and HB 1296 (R-Griffin) – that would have allowed parents to use the amount of state funding for a particular school to be used for education expenses, including tuition, deposits, fees, and required textbooks at a private elementary school or secondary school that is located in the Commonwealth.During that committee hearing legislators heard bills that sought to address shortages in school transportation, disciplinary issues within public schools, upgrades to school buildings to address evacuation problems, and chronic absenteeism, extolling all the issues within the public school system. However when it comes to investing in a student’s education, and not a brick-and-mortar, by giving them the simple opportunity to find a school they like better, the committee shut down those initiatives.During public testimony a representative from the VEA made the outlandish statement that public schools are outperforming private schools. If indeed that is the case, then what is the strong opposition to allow some families have an option to find something different? We know the answer to that – continue to prop-up the public school system that has failed students and families for far too long. Kids deserve more now! So, journalists, newspapers, and funding public school buildings (instead of children) is far more important than helping families and the children themselves.I guess the new majority needs progressive journalists to defend the deficiencies of the public education system from growing and successful private school market that is giving young kids opportunities to leave the one-size-fits-all school for something better meets their education needs. General Assembly 24LifeConstitutional Government Todd Gathje
