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Help support Floridians’ access to the high quality of a Catholic educationOn Nov. 4, beside the important task of choosing our elected leaders, Florida voters will be asked to vote on several ballot initiatives to amend our State Constitution. Amendment 2, which I have already written about would protect the traditional understanding of marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Such an amendment would protect Floridians from the same sort of judicial activism that imposed same-sex marriages on the citizens of California. For the future stability of marriage and the family in our state, voters should approve Amendment 2. At the same time, there are two other ballot initiatives of critical importance especially, but not only, to Catholics in Florida. Both amendments concern religious freedom, especially the freedom of Floridians to provide for the education of their children without prejudice to their religious faith. Amendment 7 would remove from the Florida constitution the “Blaine amendment” language that prohibits state assistance to faith-based schools. In 1875, Congressman James Blaine, influenced by the anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic “Know Nothing” movement of the 19th century, sought to amend the U.S. Constitution to effectively shut down Catholic schools, which U.S. Bishops were then building in great numbers as an alternative to the then-“Protestant” public schools. He almost succeeded; but failing to amend the U.S. Constitution, he was able to have some 30 states, including Florida, ban the use of public funds to support “sectarian” schools. This surviving relic of another age’s anti-Catholicism refuses to recognize the immense public good that our Catholic institutions – hospitals, social service organizations and schools – provide society, at a considerable saving to the taxpayer. Amendment 7, if passed, would protect Floridians’ existing and future access to these high quality services, regardless of the religious affiliation of the entity that provides the service. Amendment 9 would remove language that discriminates against parental rights to send their children to the schools of their choice. Amendment 9 would allow parents who wish to send their children to a church-sponsored school to access McKay scholarships and other types of possible educational assistance. The state should not favor particular religious groups over others, nor religious persons over nonreligious persons. But, at the same time, our Constitution should not require discrimination against religious institutions. Today, Catholics and others who choose to send their children to church-sponsored schools are effectively penalized for exercising their natural rights as parents: They pay twice for the education of their children, first by their taxes to support public schools and then by their nontax-deductible tuition payments. On Sept. 3, the Florida Supreme Court will hear a petition that would ask it to strike these two initiatives from the November ballot. Hopefully, the Florida Supreme Court will see fit to allow Floridians the opportunity to vote both to correct a historic injustice against religious freedom and to enhance the educational opportunities available to children in our state. These amendments could bring some needed relief to our parents and parishioners who support our Catholic schools to the benefit of our children and to the public good. All Catholics – and not just Catholics – should vote to adopt both these ballot initiatives.
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