Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Pleasure to welcome Rick Beutker to the Big studio. Good
morning Rick, Good morning care. You in this instance are
here as president of the Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska organization.
And this is all about the petition initiative LB what's
four to thirty five, which we'll all be asked to
vote on. This is about retaining or rejecting fourteen oh two,
(00:24):
the law that was passed by the legislature which basically
allows tax dollars to go to help support private schools.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
That's correct.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
What is your view of number one, if you can
briefly why this should happen? A number two? You say,
you told me you're hearing disinformation coming in from a
heavily funded group of people on the other side.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Right, you know, the union, the teachers' union. I want
to set the difference between public schools in the union right.
First of all, because there's no one in our group
that is in war with public schools. We believe that
it is incredibly important for the strength of our city,
(01:08):
the strength of our state that we have very strong,
very good public schools.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
I mean I went to public school. I think we
all did. Rosie went to public school, even though it
was Lincoln.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Now we were fartiate public school. We went to Millard.
My mother in law was on the school board at
Millard for thirteen years. He has an elementary school named
after I mean, we do not have a vendetta against
public schools like the other side does against private schools.
What we don't have are the resources to tell our
(01:43):
story in a truthful way, in the way that the union,
who is getting money from the local NSA, but more
than that, they're getting national money from the National Teachers Union,
to kind of put out some misinformation out there about
what this bill does and who it helps.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Frankly, also, okay, I hate to Russia, but sadly our
i'm here as let me just ask you a couple
of specific things here. Do you think that their opposition
is about money, as they say they don't think tax
textpayer dollars to go to private schools, or do you think,
as you suggested, they have a real problem with private
(02:23):
schools in general.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
I think that private schools are a threat to the
control and the power that the union has because if
more people chose to go to a private school, then
it lessens their ability to be politically influential and that's
what concerns me, and I don't think their concern is
(02:47):
the best outcome for our kids who live in poverty
or lower income. Their concern is to control the narrative.
They believe that, you know, if more kids, that everything,
that every dollar that goes to a private school is
somehow lessening the resources of the public school and that's
(03:11):
the narrative that they put out in these ads, and
that is just simply not true. But that's what they're
trying to convince people of I can tell you that
LB fourteen oh two takes no money away from public schools.
They create these ads that say, now you're going to
have to fund two school systems. It's going to drain
(03:31):
dollars from the public schools. That's not how it works.
In Nebraska, public schools are funded by a very strict
formula that the legislature grants this ten million dollars, which
by the way, is less than one half of one
percent of how the state funds public schools is it
could be one million, it could be five dollars. They
(03:54):
would still fight it because it's a threat. It's a
threat that people might understand that they like and would
become more popular.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
Well, as I pointed up yesterday in the Rosie de
Genosi on this, this boils down to whether or not
we're going to vote away our choice. Individuals in this
country should be able to make a choice about everything
from what they want to wear to work to where
they send their kids. And if you vote to repeal this,
you are taking out of your own hands future choices.
So we're essentially saying we're not going to support any
(04:26):
choice for school, and I don't think that's right. You know,
I was a bigger fan of LB seven thirty five
than this one, Rick because it was a tax credit
that was given by an individual or a corporation into
a third party scholarship fund from which people can draw
funds through application. But to me, it boils down to
are you going to give up the choice today, tomorrow,
ten years from now by repealing something that allows for
(04:49):
that right.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
And you have to.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Stay focused though, Rosie on who is this scholarship going
to help? This doesn't help, you know, every person who
wants to go to a private school. This we are
talking about a scholarship that you have to apply for
that you have to be at a certain income level
or other qualifiers you could have. If you have an IEP,
you are eligible for this scholarship if you have been
(05:16):
denied option enrollment when you tried. You know, as the
learning community says, you could enroll in any public school
you'd like to in the Omaha area. Well you can't
because you could be denied option enrollment.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
That makes you.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Eligible as it pertends to religious private schools. Do you
see any issue at all constitutionally with that, with taxpayer
dollars going to that?
Speaker 3 (05:39):
I do not. I mean, are familiar with pel grants? Yeah? Yeah, program.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Yeah, the pil grant is a program where you are
granted a scholarship and you could take it to any
school you want.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
You could be creating. It could be Hastings College. Those
are all private.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Schools, right, and government money. That's a federal program. Essentially,
it's a subsidy. It's here's how much money we're going
to let you spend on tuition, fees.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Room board. Why is it different for K through twelve?
It shouldn't be, That's right. It's a good point.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Okay, So about to retain means that this ten million
dollars will be allowed.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
To be used for these scholarships.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yes, the law, it is a law right now, and
we get opportunity scholarships in Nebraska are executing that law.
We were selected by the Treasurer's office to administer the
program and we are. We are doing it right now.
We already have between the two programs, we have thirty
five hundred families who have applied.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
For their scholarship.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
I just want to be clear on the ballot language,
because people are absolutely the vote to retain, we'll keep
it about to repeal, well, we'll basically make that law
go away.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
That's correct, all right.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
So what are you seeing? Man? We got to run here.
But what are you seeing in terms of support or
opposition among regular people who aren't part of the union.
Are you getting a lot of support on this or
a lot of opposition and a lot of pushback?
Speaker 2 (07:02):
No, no, frankly, we're not. What we're getting is a
lot of grateful families who have incredible stories to tell
about why this scholarship is so important to them and
their family. They come from all walks of life. The
military families that are that, the parents are you know,
the dad is gone. We're getting stories about a mom
(07:27):
who has one kid in public school, but that and
one in private, but that's all she can afford. She
wants to have both of her kids in the same school.
Uh these this scholarship is very important to Nebraskans who
cannot afford to send.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Their kid to a private school.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Appreciate the time.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Thank you, thank you guys for having me. I appreciate it.
Pleasure to welcome Rick Beutker to the Big studio. Good
morning Rick, Good morning care. You in this instance are
here as president of the Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska organization.
And this is all about the petition initiative LB what's
four to thirty five, which we'll all be asked to
vote on. This is about retaining or rejecting fourteen oh two,
(00:24):
the law that was passed by the legislature which basically
allows tax dollars to go to help support private schools.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
That's correct.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
What is your view of number one, if you can
briefly why this should happen? A number two? You say,
you told me you're hearing disinformation coming in from a
heavily funded group of people on the other side.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Right, you know, the union, the teachers' union. I want
to set the difference between public schools in the union right.
First of all, because there's no one in our group
that is in war with public schools. We believe that
it is incredibly important for the strength of our city,
(01:08):
the strength of our state that we have very strong,
very good public schools.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
I mean I went to public school. I think we
all did. Rosie went to public school, even though it
was Lincoln.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Now we were fartiate public school. We went to Millard.
My mother in law was on the school board at
Millard for thirteen years. He has an elementary school named
after I mean, we do not have a vendetta against
public schools like the other side does against private schools.
What we don't have are the resources to tell our
(01:43):
story in a truthful way, in the way that the union,
who is getting money from the local NSA, but more
than that, they're getting national money from the National Teachers Union,
to kind of put out some misinformation out there about
what this bill does and who it helps.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Frankly, also, okay, I hate to Russia, but sadly our
i'm here as let me just ask you a couple
of specific things here. Do you think that their opposition
is about money, as they say they don't think tax
textpayer dollars to go to private schools, or do you think,
as you suggested, they have a real problem with private
(02:23):
schools in general.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
I think that private schools are a threat to the
control and the power that the union has because if
more people chose to go to a private school, then
it lessens their ability to be politically influential and that's
what concerns me, and I don't think their concern is
(02:47):
the best outcome for our kids who live in poverty
or lower income. Their concern is to control the narrative.
They believe that, you know, if more kids, that everything,
that every dollar that goes to a private school is
somehow lessening the resources of the public school and that's
(03:11):
the narrative that they put out in these ads, and
that is just simply not true. But that's what they're
trying to convince people of I can tell you that
LB fourteen oh two takes no money away from public schools.
They create these ads that say, now you're going to
have to fund two school systems. It's going to drain
(03:31):
dollars from the public schools. That's not how it works.
In Nebraska, public schools are funded by a very strict
formula that the legislature grants this ten million dollars, which
by the way, is less than one half of one
percent of how the state funds public schools is it
could be one million, it could be five dollars. They
(03:54):
would still fight it because it's a threat. It's a
threat that people might understand that they like and would
become more popular.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
Well, as I pointed up yesterday in the Rosie de
Genosi on this, this boils down to whether or not
we're going to vote away our choice. Individuals in this
country should be able to make a choice about everything
from what they want to wear to work to where
they send their kids. And if you vote to repeal this,
you are taking out of your own hands future choices.
So we're essentially saying we're not going to support any
(04:26):
choice for school, and I don't think that's right. You know,
I was a bigger fan of LB seven thirty five
than this one, Rick because it was a tax credit
that was given by an individual or a corporation into
a third party scholarship fund from which people can draw
funds through application. But to me, it boils down to
are you going to give up the choice today, tomorrow,
ten years from now by repealing something that allows for
(04:49):
that right.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
And you have to.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Stay focused though, Rosie on who is this scholarship going
to help? This doesn't help, you know, every person who
wants to go to a private school. This we are
talking about a scholarship that you have to apply for
that you have to be at a certain income level
or other qualifiers you could have. If you have an IEP,
you are eligible for this scholarship if you have been
(05:16):
denied option enrollment when you tried. You know, as the
learning community says, you could enroll in any public school
you'd like to in the Omaha area. Well you can't
because you could be denied option enrollment.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
That makes you.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Eligible as it pertends to religious private schools. Do you
see any issue at all constitutionally with that, with taxpayer
dollars going to that?
Speaker 3 (05:39):
I do not. I mean, are familiar with pel grants? Yeah? Yeah, program.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Yeah, the pil grant is a program where you are
granted a scholarship and you could take it to any
school you want.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
You could be creating. It could be Hastings College. Those
are all private.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Schools, right, and government money. That's a federal program. Essentially,
it's a subsidy. It's here's how much money we're going
to let you spend on tuition, fees.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Room board. Why is it different for K through twelve?
It shouldn't be, That's right. It's a good point.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Okay, So about to retain means that this ten million
dollars will be allowed.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
To be used for these scholarships.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yes, the law, it is a law right now, and
we get opportunity scholarships in Nebraska are executing that law.
We were selected by the Treasurer's office to administer the
program and we are. We are doing it right now.
We already have between the two programs, we have thirty
five hundred families who have applied.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
For their scholarship.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
I just want to be clear on the ballot language,
because people are absolutely the vote to retain, we'll keep
it about to repeal, well, we'll basically make that law
go away.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
That's correct, all right.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
So what are you seeing? Man? We got to run here.
But what are you seeing in terms of support or
opposition among regular people who aren't part of the union.
Are you getting a lot of support on this or
a lot of opposition and a lot of pushback?
Speaker 2 (07:02):
No, no, frankly, we're not. What we're getting is a
lot of grateful families who have incredible stories to tell
about why this scholarship is so important to them and
their family. They come from all walks of life. The
military families that are that, the parents are you know,
the dad is gone. We're getting stories about a mom
(07:27):
who has one kid in public school, but that and
one in private, but that's all she can afford. She
wants to have both of her kids in the same school.
Uh these this scholarship is very important to Nebraskans who
cannot afford to send.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Their kid to a private school.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Appreciate the time.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Thank you, thank you guys for having me. I appreciate it.
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