Posted on 03/27/2008 12:09:36 PM PDT by Rome2000
TALLAHASSEE, Mar 27, 2008
Tax dollars could be funneled to Florida religious schools and a controversial private school voucher program be revived under a proposal the state's powerful tax reform commission is sending to the November ballot.
Florida's constitution now prohibits the state from spending public funds directly or indirectly in aid of sectarian institutions -- a longstanding provision used by an appeals court in 2004 to declare the state's landmark voucher program unconstitutional.
State voters on Nov. 4 will be asked to remove that prohibition and replace it with this language: "Individuals or entities may not be barred from participating in public programs because of their religion."
The proposed amendment to the state constitution passed the Florida Tax and Budget Reform Commission on Wednesday on a 17-7 vote. A minimum of 17 votes are needed to put a proposed constitutional change on a statewide ballot. To become law, 60 percent of voters must approve.
The change was proposed by Pat Levesque, a member of the commission who served as the education policy coordinator for former Republican Gov. Jeb Bush. Florida's voucher program -- the only statewide voucher program in the nation -- was a cornerstone of Bush's education reforms.
Unless the state constitution is altered, Levesque said the 2004 court ruling killing Bush's "opportunity scholarship" program could endanger dozens of other state programs that now involve religious institutions.
For instance, about 22,000 youngsters enrolled in the state's voluntary pre-kindergarten program attend religious schools, and thousands of Florida high school graduates are using their Lottery-backed Bright Futures scholarships to attend religiously affiliated colleges.
A lawsuit was recently filed against the state Department of Corrections challenging the state's faith-based prison program.
"We put at risk hundreds of millions of dollars in state programs," said Levesque in asking fellow commissioners for their support. "It doesn't demand that public programs be made for [religious institutions]. It just says they can't be banned."
Among the vocal opponents of changing the state constitution was David Barkey of the Anti-Defamation League, who warned it would be "fundamentally altering the relation of church and state in Florida."
Commissioners who voted against the proposal said they were unsure of its effect and said they had heard no Floridians speak in favor of it at public hearings the panel held around the state.
People "want their property taxes cut and government brought under control," said former state Sen. John McKay. "Nobody said they wanted to mess with the constitution to help religious groups."
The prohibition against funneling tax dollars to religious institutions is commonly called the Blaine Amendment, a provision added to the constitutions of 37 states in the 1880s during a period of widespread hostility against the Roman Catholic Church. It was named for U.S. Rep. James Blaine, of Maine, who unsuccessfully tried to insert it into the U.S. Constitution when he was House speaker.
The commission already has voted to give Florida voters the opportunity to approve or reject in November a proposal that would eliminate property taxes levied to fund school operations, replacing the lost dollars with up to a penny increase in the state sales tax and any other revenue enhancements the Legislature can find.
On Wednesday, the panel was also scheduled to vote on a plan to cap state and local government revenues and require public votes for some future tax increases but that was delayed until next week.
This amendment will prohibit religious based discrimination.
State voters on Nov. 4 will be asked to remove that prohibition and replace it with this language: “Individuals or entities may not be barred from participating in public programs because of their religion.”
It seems there is a lot of tax break shenanigans going on in FL
This particular amendment allows vouchers to be used at any school, regardless of whether the school is run by Christians or socialist teachers union apparatchiks.
Especially when you consider the fact that religious organizations aren’t taxed, but stand to become recipients of tax money.
cool, when does the first state funded madrasa open?
When some tried to use them to go to sectarian schools, the ACLU sued and the program abolished by the criminals on the Florida Supreme Court.
Last time I checked the School Board wasn't paying taxes either.
If they had to, they’d actually try to find a way to spend less...gahhh who’m I kiddin...
It’s about time.
One of the most shameful practices in this country is how for the last fifty years we have utterly misused the Constitution to discriminate against people on the basis of their religion. It is worse than slavery.
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