(MPRN-Lansing) A group of Republican state lawmakers and Catholic parents are challenging Michigan’s ban on public money for private and religious schools.
The current state budget allows private schools to be reimbursed for government-imposed health and safety mandates. The provision was challenged by public school administrators and the ACLU. They say the state constitution bans any public money for private or parochial schools.
John Bursch is an attorney for the Catholic parents and state lawmakers on the other side of the issue. He says the goal is not to allow full public funding of private or religious schools, but just to allow all schools to be reimbursed for state mandates.
“But our path to get there is to get rid of this discriminatory provision in the constitution.”
Michigan voters have twice rejected allowing public money for religious schools.
