RYAN APPLAUDS HOUSE FOR APPROVAL OF TUITION CREDIT BILL

SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan today applauded the Illinois House for approving legislation to give a tax break to parents who spend more than $250 a year for tuition and fees for their children's education.

Ryan indicated he will sign Senate Bill 1075, which passed the full House on a 62 to 52 vote. The tax credit would take affect in the 2000 tax year.

"Fairness and opportunity means extending a hand to all of our kids including those in private and parochial schools, and this bill does that by giving parents the ability to send their kids to the school of their choice," Ryan said. "I think the General Assembly has approved a responsible tuition tax credit program that I can sign into law."

Under SB 1075, a tax credit would be calculated as 25 percent of the qualified expenses, with a maximum credit of $500 per family. In order to qualify for the full credit, a family would have to incur education expenses of $2,250.

"Parents who spend money on private schools, end up saving other taxpayers thousands of dollars because, if those more than 300,000 children now enrolled in private schools showed up at local public schools, the costs to public schools would be extensive and the schools couldn't handle the sheer numbers of students," Ryan said.

Senate Bill 1075 was sponsored in the Senate by state Sen. Dan Cronin, R-Elmhurst, James "Pate" Philip, R-Addison, Doris Karpiel, R-Roselle, Walter Dudycz, R-Chicago, Ed Petka, R-Plainfield, and Thomas Walsh, R-Westchester; and in the House by state reps. Kevin McCarthy, D-Orland Park, Edward Acevedo, D-Chicago, Mary Lou Cowlishaw, R-Naperville, Kathleen "Kay" Wojcik, R-Schaumburg, and Speaker Mike Madigan, D-Chicago.