(The Center Square) – A new plan quietly introduced in the state Senate would create a refundable tax credit for education expenses, including private school tuition.

The proposal would introduce a Child Learning Investment Tax Credit of up to $8,000 per student that families could use to reduce their tax liability. The Senate Finance Committee is expected to vote on it on Wednesday.

The to plan deviates from a Proposal for $100 million school vouchers that Governor Josh Shapiro and the Senate Republican leadership agreed to during budget negotiations last year. House Democrats, who control the chamber, rejected the idea as an unconstitutional diversion of taxpayer money away from public schools.

At the time, the governor said it was not his job to change their minds. In a television interview in February, he reiterated his support for free school choice – whether in the form of a tax credit or a “direct allocation.”

Tensions between the camps have grown even stronger since a U.S. federal court ruled that Pennsylvania's school funding formula was unfair. The House of Representatives passed an updated calculation last month Although Republicans criticized that this would only make the situation worse.

Until this week, Republicans in the Senate – who control the chamber – were largely focused on a far-reaching Tuition Fee Subsidy Program is designed to attract students in high-demand careers and keep them in Pennsylvania long-term. However, expanding school choice has always been a top legislative priority, although it has not moved far since a vote on 4 May in the Senate Education Committee.

The timing of the vote on the tax credit – three days after the deadline for the state budget – signals that this issue is currently a top priority in the House of Lords, even if Shapiro is not there this time.

Manuel Bonder, the governor's spokesman, told The Center Square on Tuesday that the administration does not support the bill. When asked why, he did not elaborate.