New York Governor Kathy Hochul just did something unexpected—she’s opting into President Trump’s federal tax-credit scholarship program. That makes her only the second Democratic governor to embrace real education freedom, pushing the total number of participating states to 30.This smart program, part of the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act, lets donors claim up to $1,700 in federal tax credits for contributions to scholarship organizations. Those funds help kids attend private schools, get tutoring, or homeschool—without touching a single dollar of public school budgets. It launches in 2027 and puts power back in parents’ hands instead of the teachers’ unions.For years, blue-state politicians protected the failing government monopoly on education. Now even Hochul sees the writing on the wall as red states race ahead with school choice. The map of opt-in states is turning red fast, proving families want options, not excuses.This is what real progress looks like: empowering parents, rewarding donors who step up, and breaking the stranglehold on opportunity. More states should follow. School choice isn’t a partisan issue anymore—it’s a parent issue, and the momentum is unstoppable.
