DIFFERENCE TOGETHER.

WE CAN DRIVE CHANGE.

>> IT'S DOWN TO THE WIRE FOR ILLINOIS'S INVEST IN KIDS PROGRAM.

AND SO FAR STATE LAWMAKERS ARE NOT SHOWING AN APPETITE TO COME TO ITS RESCUE.

THE PROGRAM GIVES INCOME TAX CREDITS TO DONORS WHOSE CONTRIBUTIONS PAY LOW-INCOME STUDENTS TO ATTEND PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

AMANDA VAN JOINS US NOW LIVE FROM THE STATE HOUSE.

AMANDA, WHY IS THIS PROGRAM ON THE BRINK?

>> WELL, BRANDIS I HAVE TALKED TO SOME TRUE BELIEVERS THAT REALLY ARE HOLDING OUT FOR A HAIL MARY AND THAT IS WHAT IT IS GOING TO TAKE.

EVEN SOME OF ITS JUST SUPPORTERS ADMIT THAT THIS PROGRAM REALLY IS ALL BUT DEAD.

THAT IS NOT DUE TO A LACK OF INTEREST.

YOU HAVE NEARLY 10,000 STUDENTS ATTENDING PRIVATE AND TRADE SCHOOLS ACROSS ILLINOIS.

THANKS TO THE SCHOLARSHIPS FROM INVEST IN KIDS AND ADVOCATES SAY AT LEAST DOUBLE THAT ARE TRYING TO GET ONE THERE ON A WAITING LIST.

NOW IT IS.

SO IT'S IT'S NOT INTEREST.

WHAT IS IT WILL REALLY THIS GOES BACK THAT THIS WAS SET UP TO BE AN EXPERIMENT.

THIS WAS A PRIORITY FOR FORMER GOVERNOR BRUCE RAUNER.

>> WHO, BY THE WAY, LONG GONE.

HE'S A RESIDENT OF FLORIDA.

NOW.

THIS WAS NEVER A LANDMARK PROGRAM FOR GOVERNOR JB PRITZKER, WHO REALLY HAS REMAINED ON THE SIDELINES HERE AND YOU IT DOESN'T HAVE STRONG REAL ADVOCATES IN DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP HERE IN FACTS.

REALLY, IT'S JUST THE OPPOSITE BECAUSE UNIONS, TEACHERS, UNIONS TO SEE THIS IS A BACKDOOR TO VOUCHERS AND THEY ARE REALLY PUTTING ON PRESSURE WITH THEIR DEMOCRATIC ALLIES TO ALLOW THIS PROGRAM TO END.

>> SO, AMANDA, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN THEN FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE RECEIVING THESE SCHOLARSHIPS NOW?

WELL, WITHOUT FUNDING, IT MEANS THAT THOSE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE GOING TO RUN OUT.

THEY'LL FINISH THE SCHOOL YEAR.

BUT THEN NEXT YEAR, WILL THERE BE MONEY FOR THEM TO ATTEND?

IT COULD BE ON THESE PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO PRIVATELY FUND RAISE SOMETHING THAT'S SAFE.

THEY SAY THAT THEY ARE DOING, BUT IT IS NOT AS EASY WITHOUT THIS TAX CREDIT.

I ALSO SPOKE WITH A CATHOLIC LEADER WHO TOLD ME IF THIS PROGRAM DOES GO AWAY, THERE IS AN EXPECTATION THAT SOME PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE GOING TO CLOSE.

ANOTHER POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCE.

THERE IS A PREDICTION THAT THERE COULD BE A LAST MINUTE SURGE IN DONATIONS THIS MONTH IN DECEMBER BEFORE THE PROGRAM WOULD EXPIRE IS YOU HAVE MAYBE SOME INDIVIDUALS TRYING TO TAKE A LAST MINUTE ADVANTAGE OF GETTING THAT TAX CREDIT.

AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THIS IMPACT BLACK STUDENTS IN PARTICULAR?

PRINTS?

YOU KNOW, THAT HAS BEEN A REAL PART.

POINT OF THAT DISCUSSION HERE.

AND YOU HAVE BACKERS SAYING THAT THIS IS GOING TO IN PARTICULAR HARM BLACK STUDENTS WHO FOR WHATEVER REASON DON'T WANT TO ATTEND PRIVATE SERVE THE PUBLIC SCHOOL THAT IS NEAR THEM.

BE AT THAT.

IT IS LOW PERFORMING OR THEY WERE BULLIED.

WHAT HAVE YOU?

BUT THAT THEY MIGHT BE FORCED TO LEAVE THAT PRIVATE SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY CAN TO FORD ATTEND GOING FORWARD.

THEN YOU ALSO HAVE CRITICS WHO SAY THAT NOT ENOUGH OF THE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE GOING TO STUDENTS OF COLOR.

THERE HAD BEEN A COMPROMISE ON THE TABLE THAT WOULD SEEK TO REALLY IMPROVE THAT DAY TO GET MORE SCHOLARSHIPS, GOING TO STUDENTS OF COLOR PRINT IN PARTICULAR, BLACK STUDENTS IN THAT WOULD BE BY GIVING A BIGGER TAX CREDIT TO DONORS WHOSE MONEY FUNDS SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDENTS FROM UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING MANY IN CHICAGO THAT ARE HOME TO FAMILIES OF COLOR.

SO AMANDA, WHAT'S NEXT?

>> WELL, BEN US WHAT'S NEXT IS THERE HAS BEEN ACTUALLY A LOT OF ACTIONS SURROUNDING INVEST IN KIDS.

THESE 2 WEEKS OF THE VETO SESSION, EVEN JUST THESE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS.

>> BUT THAT IS REALLY ALL BEEN IN THE FORM OF RALLIES AS YOU HAVE FAMILIES AND STUDENTS LIKE IS THE CHICAGO BROTHERS WHO ARE BESEECHING LAWMAKERS TO SAVE OUR SCHOLARSHIPS.

IT'S CHANGED OUR DIRECTION.

>> AND OVER IN THE PATHWAY TO WITHOUT AN EXTENSION INVEST IN KIDS THAT AND THEN A TAX CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP.

IT WILL BE CATASTROPHIC.

>> NOW, GOVERNOR JB PRITZKER HAS SAID THAT HE WOULD SIGN AN EXTENSION FOR INVEST IN KIDS IF IT REACHES HIS DESK.

BUT THAT IS A BIG IF PRITZKER HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN NEGOTIATIONS, SOMETHING THAT REPUBLICANS SAY IS INAPPROPRIATE.

THEY SAY HE SHOULD BE INVOLVED HERE.

AND AGAIN, ANOTHER BIG IF IS YOU COULD SEE THE HOUSE IS EMPTY.

THEY HAVE ADJOURNED FOR THE DAY.

THAT MEANS THAT THERE IS JUST ONE SINGLE SCHEDULED SESSION DAY BEFORE THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.

AND SO BARRING ANY LAST MINUTE, AS I SAID, THE BEGINNING, BARRING A LAST-MINUTE HAIL MARY, THEN THAT MEANS THAT INVEST IN KIDS IS GOING TO ESSENTIALLY ABLE LET TO LET GO.

IT WILL EXPIRE.

IT WILL FADE BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

AND YOU CAN SUE SAY THAT THEY WANT TO TRY HOWEVER, COME 2024, THEY BE DOING SO FROM SCRATCH.

LIKE YOU AND IT LOOKS LIKE A LOT MORE ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE HAPPENING