Over at National Review Online, IWF’s Carrie Lukas calls on presidential candidate Mitt Romney to step up his support of school choice by supporting Utah’s upcoming ballot initiative to keep or reject the recently passed universal voucher program:
“Governor Romney is uniquely positioned to lend a helping hand. The former Massachusetts governor’s popularity in Utah is well known. In 2002, he earned national acclaim by rescuing Salt Lake City’s Olympics. And as a Mormon making a credible bid for White House, Romney draws wide support in a state where more than 60-percent of citizens also belong to the Church of Latter Day Saints.
“Romney has stated that he supports school choice and vouchers while on the campaign trail. But skeptical conservatives might note that as Governor, vouchers were not a priority. Other GOP hopefuls have a stronger record on the issue. Rudy Giuliani pushed vouchers while he was Mayor of New York City, and both John McCain and Fred Thompson cast votes in the Senate to provide school vouchers for children in Washington, D.C.
“The Utah ballot initiative gives Romney the opportunity to prove his bona fides as a strong school voucher supporter at a critical time. By talking about the importance of parental choice and the power of market competition, he could help to raise awareness about the importance of this program among Utah voters. By urging his supporters to give this program a chance, he could ensure that more parents control where their kids go to school, and help Utah become a national model for universal school choice.”
Read the whole article here.