Indiana court upholds school choice program
Published on March 27th, 2013
By Jim Cultrara
Check out the article on yesterday’s unanimous decision by the Indiana Supreme Court to uphold the nation’s broadest school choice program. The decision bodes well for other states, like New York, which have anti-Catholic “Blaine amendments” disgracing their state constitutions. I never really thought our Blaine amendment stood in the way of enacting a school choice program here in New York. Given the clear and sensible rulings by courts across the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court, one would have to be pretty inept to craft a bill that didn’t pass constitutional scrutiny. Considering that Indiana’s is a voucher program, New York’s education investment tax credit proposal is a legal no-brainer.
Our Education Investment Tax Credit would generate up to $150 million in scholarships to help parents pay tuition. The bill would also provide $150 million in additional revenue to public schools. The balanced approach is why there is overwhelming support for the bill. The Senate bill, S.4099, has passed the Senate twice with a very strong bipartisan vote of 55-4. In the Assembly, nearly 100 of the 150 members in that chamber are co-sponsoring A.1826 — more than what is necessary to pass the bill in that house.
Momentum is clearly on our side. With the parents in 18 states and the District of Columbia already benefiting from one or more programs that enable parents to choose religious and/or independent schools, it’s only a matter of time that New York’s parents will demand equal justice.