For Immediate Release
January 5, 2006
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Contact: Joe Conn, Rob Boston or Jeremy Leaming
http://www.au.org/site/R?i=-zwoqWE9oM81vJSZQJy1Og..
AMERICANS UNITED WELCOMES FLORIDA SUPREME COURT DECISION STRIKING DOWN
SCHOOL VOUCHER PLAN
Religious Liberty Watchdog Group Calls Ruling A Victory For Public
Education And Church-State Separation
Americans United for Separation of Church and State today hailed a Florida
Supreme Court decision striking down the state's school voucher program.
"This is an important victory for public education and church-state
separation," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans
United. "Now the state legislature can devote its attention to improving
public education rather than subsidizing religious and other private
schools. The children of Florida deserve the very best public schools the
state can provide. Taxpayer dollars should be spent in public schools, not
private religious academies."
The Florida high court, voting 5-2, struck down the state's "Opportunity
Scholarship Program," holding that it violates a section of the Florida
Constitution requiring a uniform system of free public schools.
Americans United co-sponsored the Bush v. Holmes lawsuit along with its
allies in the public education and civil liberties communities.
Opponents of the voucher program asserted that the scheme ran afoul of the
"uniform public schools" provision of Florida Constitution, as well as its
church-state separation provisions. Although lower state courts cited the
church-state provisions, the Florida Supreme Court did not rule on that
subject, saying it was not unnecessary to address that issue since the plan
was unconstitutional under the "uniform" provision.
Florida legislators passed the voucher law in 1999 at the behest of Gov.
Jeb Bush. The program provides vouchers for private school tuition for
students enrolled in public schools deemed "failing." More than half of the
participating private schools in the voucher plan are religious.
In its decision, the Florida high court noted that parents retain the right
to educate their children as they see fit.
"Our decision does not deny parents recourse to either public or private
school alternatives to a failing school," declared the court majority.
"Only when the private school option depends upon public funding is choice
limited."
Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington,
D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the
importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.
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