SE Nebraska News

This week, a group of lawmakers led by Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT), along with Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Tim Scott (R-SC), and House Committee on Education and Workforce Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI), sent letters to the governors of all 50 states and the mayor of the District of Columbia. The letters urged state leaders to opt in to a new federal scholarship tax credit initiative. This initiative would allow students, parents, and scholarship granting organizations (SGOs) in each state to participate in the program.

The letter stated:

"This innovative credit will unlock billions of private dollars to fund scholarships for K-12 students across the country, including in your state."

It also emphasized:

"Importantly, this tax credit complements existing state-level education programs. It will not impact federal or state education funding or diminish public schools. Instead, it gives families more options—whether in public or private, religious or non-religious settings—and allows students to either pursue new opportunities or enrich their current education."

The lawmakers noted the importance of early participation:

"While the tax credit officially launches on January 1, 2027, it is important for states to opt in early to provide certainty to students and SGOs."

The new program stems from a provision included in the working families tax cuts package that was signed into law on July 4, 2025. This provision is based on the Educational Choice for Children Act sponsored by Smith, Cassidy, Owens, and Scott. The law marks the first federal school choice program enacted in the United States.

A determination by the Senate parliamentarian before the legislation passed requires governors to annually designate participating SGOs so that scholarship opportunities can be made available to students in their states.

On September 29, Rep. Smith joined Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen at a press conference where Nebraska became the first state to announce its intent to opt in to the initiative.

Rep. Adrian Smith has represented Nebraska’s 3rd district in Congress since 2007, after serving in the Nebraska Legislature from 1999 to 2007. Smith was born in Scottsbluff, Nebraska in 1970 and currently lives in Gering. He graduated from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with a BA in 1993.