Lawsuit Aims to Keep Religious Funding Amendment Off Ballot
Friday, October 28, 2011
By: Lynn Hatter

October 24, 2011 | WMFE - The Florida Education Association has filed a lawsuit intended to keep Amendment 7 off the 2012 ballot. The amendment would remove the provision that blocks state funding for religious organizations and the teachers union says it opens the door to state funding of religious schools.

Lawyers for the teachers union say the amendment’s title is misleading because it doesn’t let voters know that the change could make it mandatory for the state to fund religious groups.
But Daniel Nordby, who represents the Florida Department of State, said the amendment’s title, “Religious Freedom” is not misleading. Nordby said the title refers to the section of the state constitution that would be affected by the proposal.
“The title is not asking Floridians to ‘save’ religious freedom, like in the Save the Everglades Case.” Nordby said. “The title here just provides the subject of Amendment 7: religious freedom.”
The judge hearing the case says he’ll make a ruling soon. An appeal would most likely follow.