Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Voucher ads target black senators

A group led by a Tampa millionaire pays for radio spots urging key Democrats to support a proposed constitutional amendment.

By LETITIA STEIN
Published May 1, 2006

TALLAHASSEE - Expecting a critical vote on private-school vouchers as early as today, a Tampa millionaire is spearheading a political advertising campaign aimed at persuading key black state senators to change their stance.

A series of radio advertisements urge: "Don't turn your back on thousands of children whose lives were saved by the chance to attend private schools."

Tampa's John Kirtley, a prominent voucher advocate and former venture capitalist, is a leader of the Florida Committee for Educational Freedom, which paid for the spots in Jacksonville and Orlando, targeting two black Democratic senators.

"If this thing loses by one vote, every senator who voted "no' is the deciding vote," Kirtley said. "These two senators represent over 2,000 kids in their districts whose lives are in jeopardy."

The campaign underscores how every vote will count on Gov. Jeb Bush's top legislative priority as he leaves office: A constitutional amendment asking voters to overturn a court ruling that outlawed some private school vouchers.

Along with the radio ads, Kirtley is involved with coordinating phone calls and letters to pressure senators, particularly black Democratics, to throw their support behind vouchers.

Kirtley says low-income parents are so concerned about losing vouchers that they've contributed what money they could spare.

Polls show most Democrats don't agree with using public money to pay for tuition at private schools. But the students participating in the state's voucher programs mostly come from minority and poor families. So black Democratic lawmakers are considered potential swing votes.

Democratic Sens. Tony Hill of Jacksonville and Gary Siplin of Orlando, are the targets of the radio ads. Other Democratic senators being lobbied more quietly include Al Lawson of Tallahassee, Larcenia Bullard of Miami and Mandy Dawson of Fort Lauderdale.

"They have scared the people," said Hill, singled out because he doesn't support the constitutional amendment.

He didn't know who was behind the spots playing on a gospel radio station in Jacksonville.

But many in politics are familiar with Kirtley, a major Republican donor who personally has devoted millions to promoting vouchers.

Kirtley seeks to preserve voucher programs that he helped to create.

The Florida Supreme Court recently threw out a Bush program providing vouchers to 733 students from failing schools.

The governor and his supporters say it has jeopardized programs serving another 30,000 children.

Now they want to pass a constitutional amendment creating broad authority for the Legislature to spend state dollars at private schools, regardless of those schools' religious affiliation.

Every vote is crucial in the effort, because at least two of the Senate's 26 Republicans have indicated they won't support the amendment. Twenty-four votes are needed to put vouchers on the November ballot.

Voucher advocates are crossing their fingers that a few black Democrats will cross over to their side.

The most likely swing vote is Lawson, who doesn't have problems with vouchers.

"I would like for poor kids to have the same opportunities as middle class kids when it comes to education," he said Friday. "It continues to put pressure on the public schools to be better."

But he hasn't committed his vote.

This weekend, his phones were ringing off the hook with calls from prominent Democrats trying to dissuade him from backing the GOP agenda. They include Jim Davis, the Tampa congressman running for governor, and U.S. Reps. Corrine Brown of Jacksonville and Kendrick Meek of Miami.

If there isn't support for the amendment, which requires a three-fifths vote, the Senate could consider a legal fix to the high court's concerns with the one voucher program.

Some senators would prefer to see this narrowly tailored plan for students in failing public schools. It would need only a majority to pass.

--Times staff writer Joni James contributed to this report. Letitia Stein can be reached at lstein@sptimes.com or 850 224-7263.

[Last modified May 1, 2006, 01:52:13]