New York Gov. Kathy Hochul plans to opt the state into the federal tax-credit scholarship. Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul

It’s great that Gov. Kathy Hochul now means to opt New York into the federal school-choice scholarship program — a win for schoolchildren at no cost to the state — but why is she hedging from the start?

The governor broke the news in a private meeting with leaders of an Orthodox Jewish group eager for their kids to benefit, showing she realizes it can be a vote-winner.

But her flacks then publicly hedged by saying she’d have to check for “poison pills that could harm New York’s education system” before making it official.

Bull: She knows the teachers unions hate this program, because it gives families help in escaping union-dominated public schools; that’s why only one Democratic governor, Colorado’s Jared Polis, has opted in so far.

Again, opting in means “free money” for New Yorkers, period.

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