By New York Post (Opinion) | Created at 2026-08-15 13:06:36 | Updated at 2026-08-15 13:35:15
1 hour ago
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro — along with just about every other Democratic governor across America — are currently blocking over 20 million students from life-changing education opportunities.
Nothing is more important than our kids. Great tools like the Education Freedom Tax Credit put parents where they belong: at the head of the table in their children’s educations.
In states that opt in, parents can donate up to $1,700 to scholarship-granting organizations and receive a matching federal-tax credit. That money becomes real K-12 scholarships for tutoring, online classes, educational services for kids with disabilities, transportation services or private-school tuition. And yes, scholarships are even available to K-12 students enrolled in public schools.
Gov. Hochul has said she will opt in but hasn’t taken binding action yet. While she deliberates, 2.7 million New York students are left waiting.
Despite what Hobbs, Newsom, Pritzker, Moore, Shapiro and their teachers-union friends might say, letting parents decide what educational pathway is best for their kids is not a controversial statement. In fact, it’s popular. According to Democrats for Education Reform, 61% of Democrats — including 63% of black voters and 68% of Hispanic voters — support these commonsense scholarships.
This is exactly why I was proud to make Virginia the first state in the nation to opt in to the Education Freedom Tax Credit. Today, 30 states have officially opted in. That unlocks opportunity for nearly 31 million kids. But 20 governors, representing more than 20 million kids, have failed to do so. Many have proactively worked to block access to these scholarships.
The worst part? Hobbs, Newsom, Pritzker, Moore and Shapiro continue to use deceptive arguments to deny millions of kids in their states this life-changing scholarship opportunity.
Let me clear things up for you governors: The Education Freedom Tax Credit is a no-brainer.
Not one dollar will be pulled from public-school funding. No new taxes. And if your state has not opted in by Jan. 1, 2027, participating states will receive your state’s taxpayer contributions — while your state’s kids and families miss out.
In Arizona, Hobbs is working overtime to keep 1.1 million kids from this scholarship. The Arizona legislature has passed bills to join the program not once, but three times. Hobbs vetoed every single one. This is the same governor who attended private school. She also proposed unwinding Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program, a powerful tool for school choice. Thanks to Hobbs, when Arizona’s taxpayers contribute to the EFTC, none of their tax dollars will benefit Arizona families.
Pennsylvania hasn’t joined either. Even as Shapiro himself benefited from a private education, he has blocked access for 1.8 million Pennsylvania kids.
Governors: Stop putting politics over the people of your state. You’re hurting so many families.
That reality became blindingly clear recently when a mother asked me a question I still can’t answer for her: Why would anyone turn down scholarships that cover tutoring, tuition, transportation and services for kids with disabilities? Money that costs state taxpayers nothing and takes nothing from public schools? She doesn’t care about ideology or politics. She was asking why the governor of her state would withhold opportunity from her child.
There’s an uncomfortable truth at the center of the school-choice debate: Many people, including these governors, who have benefited from choice personally, are often the ones most determined to deny it to everyone else.
This is why I launched Empowering America’s Parents. Our mission is simple: Get every governor in the country to opt in, and compel every candidate for governor to commit to stay in.
If you live in Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania or one of the other states still blocking opportunity, your governor — and those running to be your governor — will be making this choice for you and your kids right now, often quietly and sometimes with a veto pen. Visit www.empowerparents.us, learn where your state stands, and share this with friends who have a K-12 student.
Our kids deserve leaders who stand up for them, not politicians who stand in their way. Let’s stand together for parents and kids.
Glenn Youngkin served as the 74th governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
