GOP sneaks provision into tax bill to benefit one college favored by Republican billionaires

[deminks]

https://thinkprogress.org/gop-sneaks-provision-into-tax-bill-to-benefit-one-college-favored-by-republican-billionaires-15c57a2261c9/?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=5a226b9304d3017d18e2a675&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

Tucked away on page 289 is a provision that would exempt certain colleges from a special tax on university endowments. It would only apply to colleges that: 1. Did not accept federal funds, and 2. Had an endowment of at least $500,000 per student.

There appears to be only one educational institution in the entire country that would benefit: Hillsdale College.

What’s so special about Hillsdale?

The school has deep ties to Betsy DeVos, Trump’s education secretary, and her family. The DeVos clan founded Amway, which made them billionaires, and are large Republican donors. The Hillsdale student paper details the connections.

)snip)

The campus chaplain at Hillsdale once sent an all-school email calling for prayer against the “evil” of same-sex marriage. The president of the college, Arnn, referred to minority students as “dark ones” in a state legislative hearing.

The Hillsdale provision was subject to withering criticism from Senate Democrats as the final vote neared on Friday.

“One college, Hillsdale College, has been exempted from taxes on colleges with large endowments. It is supported by the DeVos family. This is a metaphor for how high the stench is rising in this chamber,” Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said.

(end snip)