VOUCHERS ISSUE COULD CAUSE CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE

No revenue of the state or any political subdivision or agency thereof shall ever be taken from the public treasury directly or indirectly in aid of any church, sect, or religious denomination or in aid of any sectarian institution.
---From Article I, Section 3, Florida Constitution

A decision could come any time after August 19 from the Florida Supreme Court on the constitutionality of using state-issued vouchers --- thus "revenue of the state" --- to send children to religious schools.

According to the New York Times Florida Newspaper Group's Capitol writers Lloyd Dunkelberger and Joe Follick, supporters of vouchers in the Legislature are making plans in case of a negative ruling. That plan reportedly calls for putting a change to the state's constitution before the electorate which would remove the portion quoted above.

Representative Dennis Baxley (R - Ocala), chairman of the House Education Council, said last week that "There's a lot of discussion [among lawmakers] about what our options might be...We're really just doing a lot of wild speculation."

"I think everything is on the table...The only thing I'm certain of is we're not going to give up the option for families to make choices."