Tallahassee, FL – Court Rejects Voucher Amendment That Could Have Let Tax Dollars Go To Religious Schools

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    Tallahassee, FL – Making a major change in this fall’s elections, the Florida Supreme Court rejected three proposed constitutional amendments that would have cut property taxes and helped clear the way for taxpayer-funded school vouchers.

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    Justices issued unanimous orders barring the controversial amendments from going onto the November ballot.

    The decisions came after a hearing in which justices hammered attorneys about whether the state’s Taxation and Budget Reform Commission overstepped its authority in placing the voucher amendments on the ballot and used misleading language in the property-tax amendment.

    Palm Coast Rabbi Merrill Shapiro, one of the plaintiffs in the vouchers case, praised the court for rejecting amendments that could have led to tax dollars going to religious schools.
    “I think it’s a victory for the people of Florida in the end,” said Shapiro, vice president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

    But Margie Patchett, executive director of Volusia Tax Reform, a group that has long pushed for property-tax cuts, was disappointed in the ruling on the tax amendment.
    “People are going to be upset, very, very upset, because this was the only tax-reform measure out there,” Patchett said.

    The Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, a powerful appointed panel, decided this spring to put the proposals — known as Amendments 5, 7 and 9 — on the November ballot. Amendment 9, would have changed part of the constitution that the Supreme Court used in 2006 to strike down a voucher program pushed by former Gov. Jeb Bush. That part of the constitution deals with how the state will make “adequate provision” for public schools.

    But the measures drew opposition from coalitions of groups that filed lawsuits to try to kill them.

    A Leon County circuit judge rejected the tax proposal but approved the vouchers proposals.
    After hearing arguments on the appeals, the Supreme Court took the unusual step of issuing orders just hours later. Justices moved quickly, as election officials work to finalize November ballots.


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    9 Comments
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    Sad
    Sad
    15 years ago

    Sad that the liberals have a stangle hold on parents right to choose where they can send their children. Dems love to talk about a “womens right to choose” to kill an unborn child but a parents choice doesnt apply to education of their children. Not only are the liberals against the sanctity of life but they are also opposed to free will when it doesnt fit there liberal agenda…

    Teachers Unions = Public School Cancer

    Dave
    Dave
    15 years ago

    In what way don’t parents have a right to choose the education of their children?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    no one should have to pay taxes for religious education. and the constitution (remember the religion clauses?) wasn’t written my modern liberals. stop whining.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    I don’t understand: Why is it bad to support school vouchers? For so many years, frum families have gotten nothing in return for their taxes for education. I realize that this would support other schools aas well, but is that a problem?

    eaxactly
    eaxactly
    15 years ago

    is that what felder wants to do in ny state senate. ? get vouchers for our chidren?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    The religion clause does not forbid money going to religious education. The constitution makes no mention of separation of church and state, that is something the courts added later. The constitution states that the country cannot make an official religion nor forbid someone from practicing their own. If the gov’t gave money for all religious educational institutions, there would be no constitutional issue. The liberals keep on pushing their agenda down our throat. The courts are here to interpret the laws made by the Legislature, not to make laws by passing judgments.

    Dave
    Dave
    15 years ago

    Anonymous 12:22:

    The Florida State Constitution does in fact forbid money going to religious education.

    YID-VID.COM
    YID-VID.COM
    15 years ago

    Rabbosai, the issue here is about amending the Florida State constitution not the U.S. constitution. Florida’s constitution has a stronger separation clause but on the other hand it’s so much easier to amend. This

    Milhouse
    Milhouse
    15 years ago

    Once again the Florida Supreme Court imposes its will on the people. This is the same blatantly left-wing court that tried to hijack the presidential election 8 years ago.