The debate over a school choice bill in the Missouri legislature has opened a bitter rift among some of the state's top Black elected officials and reflects a larger divide among African-Americans over school choice nationwide. The bill, which is similar to programs that are growing in popularity in other states, would provide tax credits for donations to scholarship funds that help children pay tuition at private schools. Disagreement over the proposal led to an upheaval in the leadership of the Black caucus, a group known for demonstrating a united front, after the caucus voted 11-3 on April 12, 2006, to oust its chairman, Representative Theodore "Ted" Haskins, a Democrat and co-sponsor of the tax-credit bill. Later that day, Representative Hubbard, another tax-credit-bill supporter, stepped down from his caucus leadership post in response to the vote. Caucus members on the other side of the issue argued that the split in the caucus had more to do with the strong-arm tactics used by the bill's proponents than it did with the issue itself.