Supporters of Florida's Amendment 8 say the measure will strengthen religious freedom protections, while opponents contend it's a gateway to school vouchers. One analyst says both claims are true.
The Sunshine State's Blaine Amendment prohibits the spending of any tax dollars on religiously affiliated institutions. But Amendment 8, also known as the Florida Religious Freedom Amendment, would guard institutions currently receiving government aid from court challenges.
"This seeks to rid Florida of that Blaine Amendment in order to make sure that effectively existing programs, such as their state-funded pre-school program that allows students to take vouchers to private schools … wouldn't come under threat down the road from such an amendment," explains Lindsey Burke of The Heritage Foundation.
Instituted under President Ulysses S. Grant's administration, the Blaine Amendments have outlived their usefulness, says Burke, because they keep children trapped in failing schools.
"What it could do is show other states that yes, you can in fact remove these onerous Blaine Amendments and you can put into place voucher programs," Burke submits. "So it could act as a signaling device for other states across the country that are interested in expanding school choice options for students."
Thirty-eight of the 50 state constitutions currently include Blaine Amendments -- language that was originally aimed at keeping public monies out of Catholic schools. Florida will vote on Amendment 8 next month.