Michael Petrilli’s article, “The Huckabee-Teacher Connection,” erroneously claims that Governor Huckabee opposes vouchers. This is incorrect.

Here’s the governor’s position on vouchers:

Governor Mike Huckabee is a supporter of school vouchers, and has always been a supporter of school vouchers; he supported them as far back as his first run for public office, as a U.S. Senate candidate, in 1992.

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The quote referenced by the Club for Growth was about the governor’s concern with the way some of the funding for school vouchers is carried out, and that he doubted school vouchers would be offered anytime soon in his state of Arkansas, not his opposition to vouchers; this conversation, on his monthly radio show, came after the latest bill proposing school vouchers had failed in the Arkansas state legislature.

In fact, the same article referenced by the Club for Growth goes on to say:

“Huckabee ultimately supports parental choice for how to educate children.

Huckabee called the school vouchers issue a ‘valid policy discussion’ he hopes to discuss more in the future.”

On November 7, 2007 while discussing school vouchers at an education forum, Governor Huckabee said he did support school vouchers.

“Huckabee fielded questions from a panel and audience of students, faculty, reporters and business leaders for the bulk of the afternoon forum. The questions touched on teacher testing, No Child Left Behind, college debt, teacher pay and school vouchers, among others.

He favors:

Giving parents a choice of education for their children through school vouchers.”

“No. 1 school problem: Boredom, Huckabee says” by Jared Strong, The Des Moines Register (11-7-07)

I’d be glad to help out with any fact-checking you need done.

Joe Carter
Director of Research
Mike Huckabee for President, Inc.
Little Rock, Arkansas

The author responds: I appreciates the clarification of Governor Huckabee’s position on vouchers. According to this Concord Monitor article, the New Hampshire NEA affiliate endorsed him precisely because of his “opposition to school vouchers.” Will the teachers’ union rescind its support now that his position is clearer?”