Two Kentucky lawmakers met in a high-stakes debate over whether taxpayer money should be allowed to go to private schools, laying out the stakes for a charged issue that voters will decide in November.

Democratic state Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson denounced the proposed constitutional amendment as “public enemy No. 1 for public schools” in urging Kentuckians to vote it down. Republican state Rep. Suzanne Miles responded that it would do no harm to public education but would give parents, regardless of income, the freedom to choose the education setting bested suited for their children.

The debate at the Fancy Farm picnic on Saturday dissected an issue that will get considerable attention leading up to the November election, which lacks any contests for statewide office. It competed with the personal zingers and political putdowns that crowds have come to expect at the state’s premier political event.

The GOP-dominated Legislature put the school choice measure on the ballot. If it is ratified by a simple majority of voters, lawmakers could decide whether to support private or charter school education with public funds.

Stevenson, a member of the House Democratic leadership, warned that the measure would shift education funding from rural regions to help urban and suburban families send their children to private school. In some rural counties, the public school systems are among the largest employers.

“This amendment is nothing more than a Hail Mary attempt to revive failed … voucher policies that Kentuckians don’t want, our students don’t need and the courts have thankfully blocked,” she said.

Miles responded that lawmakers have increased funding for K-12 schools, showing their commitment to public education. She said the future of education hinges on the outcome of the ballot measure, saying, “It can be the freedom for every child to strive, not just the rich kids, but every child.”

Miles, who is part of the House GOP leadership team, was the lead sponsor of the legislation that put the school choice issue on the ballot.

School choice has been debated for years in Kentucky, as Republicans expanded their legislative majorities. Past efforts that were meant to expand school choice options were foiled by legal challenges, prompting the push to amend the state constitution. In 2022, Kentucky’s Supreme Court struck down a Republican-backed measure to award tax credits for donations supporting private school tuition.

Stevenson said she’s not against private schools, saying they play an important role for many Kentucky families. But shifting taxpayer money to support private schools would hurt public schools, she said.

“Public education is like public safety. It is a shared responsibility, and we should not use public tax dollars to benefit the few at the expense of the many,” Stevenson said.

Miles portrayed the election as a pivotal moment for the future of education in Kentucky.

“If you truly believe that children are the future of Kentucky … they’re worth it. They are worth your vote” in support of the constitutional amendment, Miles told the crowd.

The fall campaign will pit school choice advocates against the Kentucky Education Association, a group representing tens of thousands of public school educators that opposes the constitutional change. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, a close ally of the KEA, has spoken out against the proposed constitutional amendment.