Blog from the Capital

Tomorrow, a committee in Tallahassee will hear two amendment proposals to the Florida Constitution. As in many states, Florida law includes provisions prohibiting aid to religious organizations that are stricter than the US Constitution. The Taxation and Budget Reform Commission will consider whether to pass on to voters amendments to remove those restrictions. An op-ed in the Boca Raton News by the Anti-Defamation League's David Barkey lays out the basics of each:

Both proposals would repeal the “No Aid Provision.” CP0020 would mandate that when the state of Florida contracts with or gives grants to private institutions it must make houses of worship and other pervasively sectarian institutions eligible for taxpayer dollars.

Similarly, CP0040 gives the legislature broad discretion to contract with houses of worship and pervasively sectarian institutions for “publicly-financed goods and services in every field.” It goes farther than CP0020 by exempting such public funding from Florida’s Establishment Clause, which similar to the Federal Establishment Clause generally prohibits the State from advancing or endorsing religion. This means that houses of worship would have the right to use taxpayer dollars for religious activities.

Either amendment would fundamentally alter the way Florida funds state programs, erasing constitutional protections that have served the state well for more than 100 years.
The Miami Herald has more.