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February 2007
For Immediate Release
February 12, 2026
Gov. Huntsman signs Utah’s universal school voucher bill
First program in nation to achieve Milton Friedman’s vision
INDIANAPOLIS—Today, Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr. signed the nation’s first ever universal school voucher program into law. The program will allow nearly every family in the state to have a choice in their child’s education, becoming the first program to achieve Nobel laureate economist Milton Friedman’s vision for universal school choice.
“Utah is getting to the core of what education is all about — learning should be tailored to each student,” said Elisa Peterson, executive director of the Salt Lake City-based Parents for Choice in Education, which has led the local school choice effort. “Utah parents want the freedom to choose education based on their child’s unique needs.”
House Bill 148, spearheaded by Speaker Greg Curtis and bill sponsor Rep. Steve Urquhart in the House and sponsored by Sen. Curtis Bramble in the Senate, will establish the “Parent Choice in Education Act,” which will provide nearly every Utah parent with school-aged children a voucher worth $500 to $3,000 depending on their annual income. The voucher could be used at any eligible private school. Any student currently enrolled in public school is eligible for a voucher; state enrollment data show that over 95 percent of Utah students are enrolled in public schools. Children currently enrolled in private school will also be eligible for vouchers if their family incomes are below 185 percent of federal poverty guidelines. Census data indicate that about 20 percent of Utah private school families qualify. Finally, all students will be eligible for vouchers when they first enter kindergarten, meaning that every Utah child will be eligible for the program by 2020.
“The victory today proves that in the end freedom always trumps fear,” said Robert C. Enlow, executive director and COO of the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation. “Over the past six years, we have been honored to work with so many dedicated Utah legislators and local leaders. Their passion for educational freedom is what has made this possible.”
Milton Friedman, who passed away last November at the age of 94, first proposed the idea of universal school vouchers in 1955. While there are currently 20 school choice programs in 11 states and Washington D.C., all of them are targeted to specific groups of people such as low-income families, special needs students or students in failing schools. By contrast, over 95 percent of the population will be eligible for Utah’s new voucher program in the first year.
"This is the biggest step that has been taken toward achieving Milton Friedman’s dream of liberating children so they can reach their full potential,” said Patrick Byrne, president and CEO of Utah-based Overstock.com and a Friedman Foundation board member. “This is the greatest social issue facing our country.”
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About the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation
The Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation, dubbed "the nation's leading voucher advocates" by the Wall Street Journal, is a non-profit organization established in 1996. The origins of the foundation lie in the Friedmans' long-standing concern about the serious deficiencies in America's elementary and secondary public schools. The best way to improve the quality of education, they believe, is to enable all parents with the freedom to choose the schools that their children attend. The Friedman Foundation builds upon this vision, clarifies its meaning to the public and amplifies the national call for true education reform through school choice.
For More Information:
Robert Fanger
Director of Communications
Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation
One American Square, Suite 2420
Indianapolis, IN 46282
P: 317-681-0745
F: 317-681-0945
[email protected]
www.FriedmanFoundation.org
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