Teachers' union to sue over two voucher amendments on the Florida ballot in November

[madfloridian]

These are two amendments that have been worded in a tricky way, and are actually meant to harm the public school system here in this state. Glad to see the teachers' union is fighting these amendments.

They are Amendments 7 and 9 and would actually strip parts of the Florida constitution.

Amendment 7 would repeal the "Blaine amendment," an old part of the Constitution that prohibits the use of tax dollars in support of religious institutions.

Amendment 9 would reverse a court ruling saying that Florida has an "exclusive" duty to run public schools. That would seem to mean that the state could use vouchers to educate kids, too.

Allowing public tax money to go to religious schools? If it were made clear to voters, I doubt very many would really want that. But there is no real discussion on the news about it...mostly just the info news kind of thing.

And...reverse a court ruling that says Florida has the "exclusive" duty to run public schools?? That leaves the door wide open for every possible group to start getting tax money.

Here is an article about their lawsuit being filed.

Teachers Union Suing Over Florida Voucher Vote

TALLAHASSEE | Florida's statewide teachers union and associations representing school boards, superintendents and administrators sued the state on Friday to remove two pro-voucher proposals from the Nov. 4 ballot.

They were joined by other groups that advocate church-state separation for the lawsuit filed here in state Circuit Court. A lawyer for the organizations said it'll probably wind up in the Florida Supreme Court.

Vouchers allow students to attend religious and other private schools at public expense.

The amendments are designed to restore former Gov. Jeb Bush's Opportunity Scholarship Program that gave vouchers to students from failing public schools. The Florida Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional in 2006.

..."The lawsuit also alleges the amendments, neither of which mention vouchers, are "flying under false colors" and "hiding the ball," Meyer said. Courts have used those terms when removing deceptive issues from the ballot.

DU poster Seafan has done some excellent research on this issue.

The outcome in Florida will have an impact on other states quickly.

This, from Americans United for Separation of Church and State is one of the clearest descriptions of the underhanded ideological attack led by former governor Jeb Bush that awaits Florida's voters this November, to erase the century-old language in Florida's Constitution that protects the people from being forced financially to support religious institutions.

If Jeb's devious plan garners 60% of the vote this November, look for a massive attack by the Religious Right against many other state constitutions across the country to strike down similar protective language, thereby opening up the flow of public money to any and all types of religious schools, ministries and organizations that will enjoy no accountability or regulation.

Take time to read these articles about this issue. Florida is in the lead in pushing that public schools be outsourced to private companies, private schools, including religous schools. If the issue wins here it will set a precedence for other states.

[WCGreen]

1. One more reason to elect Obama...

If McCain get's in and one of the moderates retires, you can be that the SC would invoke a state's right to fund education anyway it shooses fit.

[madfloridian]

4. A very big reason.

These are dangerous times...and public education will suffer.

[bluestateguy]

2. Just wait until the Muslim schools start applying for taxpayer money

If these initiatives pass, the state won't be able to deny money to the non-Christian and non-Jewish schools.

The fundamentalistwackjob Christians will be crapping in their pants when the Muslim schools start using taxpayer money.

[madfloridian]

3. There is already a fight over letting muslim groups speak to schools.

I did not save the article, but it boiled down to the right wing saying the groups were pushing their religion.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, the Christians are trying to keep evolution from being taught, kept sex ed in the range of abstinence only with no mention of condoms, etc.

Hypocrisy at its worst.

[madfloridian]

5. Kick...important to watch this issue. Another article...

This really dropped. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-voucher1408jun14,0,786650.story


"The suit argues that the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission is supposed to stick to suggesting procedural purse-string changes to voters, but instead decided in late April to ask voters to, in essence, undo court rulings that struck down a taxpayer-funded voucher program.

The so-called "opportunity scholarships" backed by then-Gov. Jeb Bush had paid for about 700 children in failing schools to transfer into private and religious schools before the Florida Supreme Court struck it down in 2006.

Although the amendments don't specifically mention school vouchers, they would erode the constitutional ban on funding religious institutions and funding public-school systems that Florida courts relied on to strike down the voucher programs.

"We don't believe the public will be fooled, but we also don't think the public should be insulted," said Ron Meyer, the lead attorney who filed the lawsuit.

Greg Turbeville, a lobbyist and TBRC commissioner who helped write the voucher amendments, predicted the education amendments would survive the lawsuit."