Rendell vetoes education bill over charter-school tax break

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:

Gov. Rendell on Friday vetoed a comprehensive education bill that he said gave an unfair tax break to charter-school landlords - a move that blindsided and outraged some legislators and advocates of the measure.

The provision would have exempted nonprofit foundations that rent property to charter schools, and let them retroactively apply the tax break.

But the governor's veto took down with it a wider law that included about 20 other initiatives - among them, ones to combat student violence, make textbooks more affordable, and improve financial literacy.

"I support many of the initiatives included in this legislation, so withholding my signature is not easy," Rendell said Friday. "But this bill does not meet the threshold of constitutionality or basic fairness."

Even some Democrats are outraged. You'll want to read this one.