Florida Court Rules Voucher Law Unconstitutional
NewsMax.com Wires
Monday, Aug. 16, 2004
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. A Florida law that allows pupils at
failing public schools to attend private schools at taxpayers'
expense is unconstitutional, a state appeals court ruled Monday.
The decision by the 1st District Court of Appeal upholds a
ruling by a trial judge saying the state constitution forbids the
use of tax money to send youngsters to religious schools.
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The law has been in force during the state's appeal, which now
goes to the Florida Supreme Court.
Under the 1999 law, the centerpiece of Gov. Jeb Bush's education
policies, students attending public schools that earn failing
grades two years out of four are eligible for vouchers to private
schools, including religious schools.
In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court swept aside a major hurdle to
voucher programs by ruling that such uses of tax dollars are not unconstitutional.
But in his ruling months later, the trial judge said the program
violates the state Constitution, which bans the use of tax dollars
on religious schools.
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