Despite the rightward tilt of the Supreme Court, there has been a victory on one church vs. state issue. On Monday the Supreme Court decided against hearing a case against the State of Maine for their law barring the use of public funds for private religious schools:
A conservative group, the Institute for Justice, had asked the justices to take the case. The group is representing eight Maine families who would receive public tuition funds but for the fact that their children attend religious schools.
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and President Bush’s homestate of Texas had weighed in, saying in filings to the Supreme Court that Maine is unconstitutionally discriminating against religion.
Vouchers are championed by the president and many conservatives who call them a ticket out of dismal and dangerous public schools. However, those who champion public education say that vouchers divert already-scarce resources from a system badly in need of repair.
School districts in 145 small towns in Maine that have no high schools currently offer tuition for 17,000 students to attend high schools of their choice, public or private, in-state or out-of-state. But religious schools are no longer on the list. Maine’s school system dates back to 1879.
