Shapiro & Pennsylvania School Choice: Regret Likely

It turns out the treachery of Pennsylvania Democrat governor Josh Shapiro is not the final act in the prolonged drama over adopting a Keystone State budget. Shapiro, who buckled to teacher-union demands by deep-sixing his campaign-promise support for school choice Lifeline Scholarships, may yet be forced to make the budget a vehicle for enacting this profound education-reform program that would benefit thousands of kids trapped in crappy schools.

For one thing, the political spectacle is still unfolding. As payback for Shapiro’s high-profile word- and deal-breaking, the Republican-controlled senate has outmaneuvered and turned the screws on the man said to have 2028 presidential ambitions. Moreover, they have the people on their side. A new poll reveals that Shapiro’s calumny has put him decidedly against the interests of his (non-government-labor-union-leadership) constituents, and the vast majority of Democrat voters.

About the Author

Jack Fowler

Jack Fowler is a contributing editor at National Review and a senior philanthropy consultant at American Philanthropic.

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It turns out the treachery of Pennsylvania Democrat governor Josh Shapiro is not the final act in the prolonged drama over adopting a Keystone State budget. Shapiro, who buckled to teacher-union demands by deep-sixing his campaign-promise support for school choice Lifeline Scholarships, may yet be forced to make the budget a vehicle for enacting this profound education-reform program that would benefit thousands of kids trapped in crappy schools.

For one thing, the political spectacle is still unfolding. As payback for Shapiro’s high-profile word- and deal-breaking, the Republican-controlled senate has outmaneuvered and turned the screws on the man said to have 2028 presidential ambitions. Moreover, they have the people on their side. A new poll reveals that Shapiro’s calumny has put him decidedly against the interests of his (non-government-labor-union-leadership) constituents, and the vast majority of Democrat voters.