Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and his allies don’t give up easily.
In 1999, Bush pushed a school voucher program into law in the
Now Bush’s voucher brigades are at work again. His allies on the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission have given initial approval to a ballot proposal that would rewrite the state constitution’s strict church-state separation provisions. (A second proposal with similar aims is scheduled for consideration this Friday.)
This crusade is badly misguided. Religious schools and other ministries should be supported by the voluntary donations of the faithful, not by forced contributions from the taxpayers.
A Daytona News-Journal editorial today warned that the church-state amendment “could open a floodgate for legislators to fund religion-based education, social services and prison services” and “could allow proselytizing that requires religious profession in exchange for taxpayer-funded services, such as drug rehabilitation.”
The newspaper also cautioned that the scheme “could reduce accountability by funding faith-based groups that are exempt from laws others must follow — such as the law that prohibits, when hiring personnel, discrimination because of religious beliefs.”
The church-state amendment passed the commission by only one vote. It must be voted on again before being scheduled for the November ballot. Here’s hoping that commission members come to their senses and reject the plan and any others like it that threaten our constitutional freedoms.
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