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Senate narrowly approves education savings account program after heated debate
Summary
The North Dakota Senate passed Senate Bill 2,400 to create a tiered Education Savings Account program that provides state‑funded accounts for public, nonpublic and home‑educated students. The bill passed 25–22 after extended debate and a failed floor amendment seeking a narrower, means‑tested approach.
The North Dakota Senate approved Senate Bill 2,400, a measure establishing a statewide Education Savings Account (ESA) program, by a 25–22 vote following extended floor debate and a failed amendment that would have sharply narrowed eligibility.
Senator Axman, the bill carrier, described the program as a three‑tier structure administered by the Department of Public Instruction. Under the version passed by the Senate, the first tier would make a modest ESA available to all public school students (the amended figure on the floor reduced that amount to $500). The second tier provides larger, means‑tested allotments for students enrolled in nonpublic participating schools: with amounts keyed to household income bands (for families at 300% of the federal poverty level and…
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