Senate OKs Jindal's private schools tax break

• By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
• Published: Mar 12, 2008 - Page: 4A - UPDATED: 4:30 p.m.

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The Louisiana Senate has approved a plan to give a tax break to parents who pay tuition to send their
 children to private schools.

Senators haggled for hours Wednesday over whether to include some form of tax relief for the parents of public school students
 as well.

They ultimately approved a plan that would let public school parents to deduct from their state taxes the money spent on school
 uniforms and other required supplies.

The bill moves to the House.

12:05 a.m.

Michelle Milhollon

Advocate Capitol news bureau

A Senate committee advanced legislation Tuesday that would give a tax break to parents who send their children to private and university lab schools.

However, the panel resisted following the House’s lead in including tax relief for parents with children in public schools.

Senate Bill 5 would allow parents to deduct 50 percent of the up to $5,000 they pay a year in private school tuition or home-schooling expenses per child. For parents in the highest tax bracket, the net savings would be $300 for each child.

Gov. Bobby Jindal, whose daughter attends LSU Lab School, will give his tax savings to charity if the bill becomes law, his press secretary, Melissa Sellers said.

Jindal did not respond to five requests for comment Tuesday.

Sellers said her comments would suffice for questions about the governor’s personal finances.