The Indianapolis Star released a scathing look into Indiana’s controversial voucher program, revealing just how flimsy accountability controls are for private schools receiving taxpayer dollars. The story also exposed the extent of Statehouse Republicans’ hypocrisy when it comes to fiscal responsibility.

The Star reported on a private school receiving hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars with nearly zero oversight. The school failed to pay teachers, did not have hot running water or heat and took risky, high-interest loans they couldn’t pay back.

How can Statehouse Republicans justify this? We hold public schools to account, even shuttering them if they don’t meet standards. Yet, Republicans look the other way as we pour millions of taxpayer dollars into private schools with few controls or accountability. This while many public schools have lost funding, forcing communities to cut programs and consolidate classrooms.

Good fiscal stewards know accountability and transparency leads to better decisions. In the business community, if you advised leadership to make risky investments without proper oversight, you’d lose your job. Yet, Statehouse Republicans have invested $500 million in Hoosier taxpayer dollars in exactly that fashion.

This is a perfect example of Statehouse Republicans preaching something then conveniently forgetting to practice it when it’s politically opportune. It’s also called hypocrisy.