Democratic lawmakers are requesting the Assembly close a loophole in the state budget that would allow for the expansion of school voucher programs across the state.

When the Legislature passed the budget last year, it included a provision permitting the school voucher program to expand. However, after passing the budget, lawmakers then decided to limit the voucher programs to just Milwaukee and Racine.

An agreement was then made between Republicans in the Senate and the Assembly that legislation would be passed to close the loophole, said Mike Browne, spokesperson for One Wisconsin Now. The Senate version passed unanimously last October.

Rep. Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, has been trying to introduce the Assembly version of the bill on the floor for a vote in the past few months. Hintz said he tried to bring the bill to the floor of the Assembly on Feb. 16, but the Republicans instead moved the bill to another committee.

Hintz said he will attempt to bring the proposal to the floor again at the session Tuesday and emphasized there has been no discussion on this issue, especially among teachers, school boards and public care advocates.

“This is a time when Gov. (Scott) Walker and the Republicans already made the most traumatic changes to public education,” Hintz said. “Now we are potentially exposing districts to future taxpayer dollars going towards private school vouchers, overlooking Wisconsin’s once-great system. I don’t think a lot of the people in the public are aware of the fact that the GOP broke their promise.”

Browne said passing the bill is a significant issue for future of public education, and Republican legislators are not taking up the issue because voucher backers have contributed more than $500,000 to Walker and other Republicans in the state.

Christina Brey, Wisconsin Education Association Council spokesperson, said she was concerned about how voucher schools not only take funding from public schools statewide but also from property taxpayers in these communities without stringent accountability measures and input from local residents.

Brey said this is especially troubling because voucher schools have not proven to do any better achievement-wise than public schools and in some cases have done worse. She said she fears the only gain is for special interest groups.

“Lawmakers seem to be listening more to out-of-state school voucher supporters than they do to Wisconsin’s parents, teachers and support staff,” Brey said. “There is still time, and the Legislature should live up to its promise, which includes fixing the loophole.”

Sen. Tim Cullen, D-Janesville, has also expressed his hope that the loophole be closed as soon as possible.

In a letter he wrote to Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, on Feb. 2, he had requested a vote be scheduled for the bill.

“According to testimony at the public hearing on [the Senate bill], there was an agreement among members of the Joint Finance Committee that the school voucher program would be expanded only to the Racine Unified School District,” Cullen said in the letter. “I am asking you to honor the agreement struck among members of your party and move the bill forward. A person’s words ought to mean something.”

Walker’s office, Republican Assembly leadership and Republican representatives did not immediately respond to calls for comment.