Rendell vetoes school bill that would give new tax breaks to landlords

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell defends his decision to veto a recent education bill because he thinks the provisions give illegal tax breaks to landlords.

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell has vetoed a charter school bill that, among other things, would give tax breaks to anyone that rents properties to charter schools. Rendell says it’s unconstitutional.

“We said the way to do this is redefine what is truly a public charity,” he says. “There is no way in good conscience despite the other good portions of this bill that I could sign it.”

Rendell says most counties do not collect tax from non-profits that rent to charter schools, but there are some that do.  It could cost local government as much as $2 million in lost revenue.

Rendell says the bill had many good points, including mandating education on teen dating violence and a program to allow older Pennsylvanians to go to college tuition-free.

But he says the tax breaks outweigh the good parts of the bill.  Rendell says every major district wrote to him requesting the veto.