Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal’s school voucher program, which I lovingly refer to as Jesus Rode a Dinosaur Education, has received the final death-blow from the Louisiana State Supreme Court.
From the Associated Press
Tuesday’s 6-1 decision upholds a state district court ruling that the Louisiana Constitution forbids using money earmarked for public schools in the state’s Minimum Foundation Program to pay for private school tuition.
“After reviewing the record, the legislative instruments, and the constitutional provisions at issue, we agree with the district court that once funds are dedicated to the state’s Minimum Foundation Program for public education, the constitution prohibits those funds from being expended on the tuition costs of nonpublic schools and nonpublic entities,” said the majority opinion by Justice John Weimer.
The high court also ruled that the MFP formula was not legally approved last year — in part because it received only 51 votes in the House when 53 were needed.
The law was struck down not because it enabled religious indoctrination as a form of education, but because funds intended for public schools were to be used to fund the vouchers that would have enabled it.
It’s not as if the Louisiana public school system has a surplus of funds to dish out in this manner.
Jindal should probably thank the Supreme Court because this policy would have run counter to the notion that the Republican party needs to stop being “the stupid party.”
