Opinion: Congress Must Pass the Educational Choice for Children Act This Year

By Ashley Lawson, The Missouri Times, April 30, 2025

I have long believed that parents – not the government– know what is best for their children. That is why I am urging Representative Jason Smith (R-MO-08), our own Missourian and chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, to stand up for families and help pass critical legislation that would expand school choice in all 50 states this year. 

There is legislation on the table, the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA), which is a game-changer for families in Missouri and across the country. This legislation would allow individuals and businesses to donate to non-profit scholarships so parents can send their children to the public, private, or technical trade school of their choice, and that best meets their needs, including homeschool. It would even allow parents of kids in public schools to use these scholarships for tutoring.

I believe K-12 parents should have the power to choose the best education options for their own children. This legislation would expand education freedom for more students in Missouri and across all states by providing $10 billion in annual tax credits to be made available to taxpayers. Allotment of these credits to individuals would be administered by the Treasury Department.

It’s estimated that up to two million students could benefit from these scholarships, which can be used for tuition, books, fees, supplies and more. This legislation isn’t about politics, it is about freedom. It’s about giving parents the power to decide where and how their children learn. And it’s about making sure that families, especially low- and middle-income families who cannot afford to move to a better school district or pay for private education out of pocket, still have real options. 

Read the full op-ed by Ashley Lawson via the Missouri Times here.