Amendment would let religious groups get public funds
Some say its passage may bring a revival of school vouchers.
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post Capital Bureau
TALLAHASSEE —
Florida voters must weigh far-ranging claims from both sides in deciding a proposed constitutional amendment lifting a 127-year-old ban on public money going to religious institutions.
Opponents say Amendment 8 – if approved – will revive efforts by the Republican-ruled legislature to reinstate private school vouchers, a signature policy of former Gov. Jeb Bush ruled unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court.
But supporters of the proposed amendment say it is merely a defensive move, designed to allow organizations already providing critical state services to fend off possible legal challenges.
The measure, one of 11 proposed amendments placed by the Republican-controlled legislature