“This bill is something that advances education and gives the opportunity for every student in the state,” said Rep. Ben Baker, a Neosho Republican.

But many House Democrats on Wednesday excoriated the high cost of the legislation, arguing that it could put the state budget in jeopardy. Several also argued that while the bill promised to help public schools, many of its provisions would require additional allocations from the General Assembly that aren’t guaranteed.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, a Springfield Democrat running for governor, said in a statement on Wednesday that the bill provided “nothing but empty promises for public education.”

“The legislature had a chance to strengthen all Missouri schools but instead decided to once again shortchange public education,” she said.

Rep. Deb Lavender, a Manchester Democrat, took issue with Republicans who claim to be fiscally conservative while passing a bill with an estimated cost to the state that nears $500 million.

Lavender argued that the bill does not guarantee teacher pay raises or transportation costs because they would require additional funding from the General Assembly.

“The legislature just passed a policy that ultimately helps the richest among us and continues to throw public education under the bus,” she said.

The bill expands the Missouri Empowerment Scholarships, or MOScholars, program. The tax-credit funded program provides qualified K-12 students and their families with funding to attend a private or charter school.

If signed by Parson, the new law would raise the funding cap — or the total amount of tax-credit eligible donations MOScholars can accept — from $25 million to $75 million. Previously, the funding cap had been allowed to grow with inflation, reaching a little over $27.5 million this year.

The House passed the bill on Thursday after the Senate spent hours late Wednesday night working on a compromise that eased concerns about whether homeschool families were allowed to own firearms. Those concerns have popped up on social media over the past few weeks but were largely dispelled by Republican lawmakers.

Still, the House passed a companion bill from the Senate on Thursday that ensures families who homeschool their kids can own guns.

While Christofanelli and other Republican colleagues touted the bill as a win for education, Rep. Paula Brown, a Hazelwood Democrat, called the legislation a “travesty.”

“Are we paying attention?” Brown said on the House floor. “The economy is not going to support this.”

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