State Journal: Bipartisan opposition

"I have reached this conclusion reluctantly, having publicly advocated ... the virtues of an experiment in parental choice,'' Governor Wilson, a Republican, said in a letter to leading supporters of the voucher proposal.

"With California facing the very real possibility of a fourth year of falling revenues and resulting budget cuts, I cannot responsibly advocate taking a risk that, given the odds, could seriously worsen the state's budget situation and jeopardize funding for education,'' he said.

The proposal would give parents scholarships they could use to send their children to public, private, or parochial schools. The vouchers would be worth half the amount the state spends per pupil on public schools. Local public school funding would be reduced for each student choosing to transfer...