March, 25 2009, 03:24pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
(202) 466-3234,Joe Conn,Rob Boston,Sandhya Bathija
Americans United Praises Arizona Supreme Court Ruling Against School Vouchers
Church-State Watchdog Group Applauds State High Court For Blocking Tax Aid To Religious And Other Private Schools
WASHINGTON
Today's Arizona Supreme Court decision
striking down two school voucher programs is a welcome action that
protects religious liberty and public education, says Americans United
for Separation of Church and State.
The Arizona high court, ruling unanimously, said the voucher
subsidies violate a provision of the Arizona Constitution barring tax
funding of religious and other private schools.
"This important decision reflects our best traditions," said the
Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. "It upholds
the right of taxpayers to support only the religious institutions of
their choice. Public funds should be spent at public schools."
Americans United filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the Cain v.
Horne case, urging the court to strike down the state programs.
Vouchers, said AU, plainly run afoul of Article IX, Section 10 of the
Arizona Constitution, which states that no tax appropriations may be
made "in aid of any church, or private or sectarian school...."
Arizona is one of 37 states with strong constitutional provisions
that bar the diversion of tax funding to religious schools. Other state
courts have ruled against school vouchers in the past, and more may do
so in the future.
Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.
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