FROM: Rabbi Labish Becker, Associate Executive Vice President
Mordechai Biser, Esq., Associate General Counsel
RE: Legislative proposal TO ASSIST YESHIVOS
We're all concerned about the high cost of yeshiva tuition, and the difficulty many needy parents have with paying full tuition for their children's education.
There is now a bill in the New York State Legislature, drafted in part by Agudath Israel of America, that could bring financial relief for many families with children in yeshiva elementary and high schools. The bill would, among other things, give a 50% tax credit to individuals and companies contributing to scholarship funds for students in nonpublic schools. (A tax credit, unlike a deduction, is a direct reduction in one's tax bill. In other words, if a taxpayer donates $500 to a scholarship fund, he will be able to subtract $250 from the taxes he owes the state.)
The bottom line is that if the bill is enacted, it would significantly encourage private sector contributions to scholarship funds for students in yeshivos and other nonpublic schools. This could potentially provide needy families in our community with a source of much-needed scholarship assistance. Somewhat similar programs in Pennsylvania and Arizona have brought millions of dollars in private contributions into scholarship funds, enabling many nonpublic school students to receive significant tuition assistance.
We need your help to get this bill passed. Please take a moment now to call your Assemblymember and State Senator. Urge them to sign on as sponsors of the educational tax incentives act and to vote for its passage.
1. To be connected to your Assemblymember (or if you don't know who your Assemblymember is), call the Assembly information office at 518-455-4218. Be prepared to give your name and address, and leave a message with whomever you can if you can't get to speak with your Assemblymember directly. Tell your Assemblymember to sponsor and vote for Assembly bill A. 6145-b.
2. To be connected to your State Senator, or if you don't know who your State Senator is, call the Senate information office at 518-455-3216. Tell your State Senator to sponsor and vote for Senate bill S. 3101-b.
These two very short phone calls could help bring much-needed financial relief to families and schools in our community.
Please then pass this e-mail along to as many friends as you can who are likely to make similar calls. Many thanks.
