Embarrassed Again Nationally: Teacher Unions Force RI to Forgo FREE Education $$$

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State teacher unions have once again displayed their complete and reckless hold over elected officials, even when it means Rhode Island kids will suffer, while kids in other states will benefit.

Per the nationally renowned Committee to Unleash Prosperity: “It’s an ongoing travesty that 20 governors (19 Democrats and Republican Phil Scott of Vermont) have not allowed families in their states to take advantage of the new federal tax credit scholarship program, so low income kids can attend private or religious schools. We will shout it out one more time: IT’S FREE, YOU IDIOTS!  We thought the Left loved free things. It costs you nothing, allows more kids to go to high achieving schools, and when kids opt in to the program it leaves more money per student for the kids who attend the public schools. That’s a win, win, win.”

But it’s even worse in RI! Rhode Island is the only state that has enacted legislation that prohibits its Governor from opting-in to the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit program without legislative consent! In June 2026, the Rhode Island General Assembly passed H 7163 (companion S 2139), which Governor Dan McKee signed into law on June 18, 2026. It explicitly provides that the state may only opt into the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC / §25F scholarship tax credit program, created under the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act) if both the General Assembly and the Governor approve. The Governor is prohibited from opting in or submitting a list of scholarship-granting organizations without prior authorizing legislation passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor.

Imagine … a sitting Governor, up for re-election, willfully signing legislation that limits his own authority … in this case specifically granted to him by federal law … obeying the demands of the corrupt and evil teacher unions who rule Rhode Island’s executive and legislative branches.

Imagine an entire General Assembly, so beholden to unions that are not looking out for the best interests of K-12 students, that voted to DENY MILLIONS OF FREE $$$$$ to Ocean State children, so that they might be able to escape underperforming schools and seek a path to a better education.

It’s unthinkable … it’s evil … but it’s the reality in the land of make believe we call home.

Watch a short Youtube video on the topic, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIzChcKi7mU

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