Sweeten the pot for middle America

The Republican gains of November have prompted renewed calls for action on school vouchers and choice in education.

The political calculus has clearly changed. In Washington, D.C., voucher supporter Judd Gregg of New Hampshire is the new chair of the Senate committee overseeing education. In Colorado, Texas, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, Republican gains have produced new enthusiasm among school choice proponents.

Meanwhile, voucher enthusiasts have gone on the legal offensive following the Supreme Court's June 2002 Zelman v. Harris decision, which ruled that religious schools could Constitutionally be included in voucher programs. In states like Massachusetts, Maine, and Vermont, they are challenging state constitutional strictures that prevent state monies from supporting religious schools, on the grounds that these violate First Amendment protections for the exercise of faith. Should voucher supporters win these battles, the field will be wide open for voucher programs.