A second resolution introduced in committee Tuesday morning seeks to toss out Idaho's Blaine amendment.
That part of the state constitution says public funds cannot be used for any sectarian or religious purpose, including for religious schools.
A previous proposal from Sen. Brian Lenney seeking to do the same thing was introduced on the Senate side but never moved out of committee.
Rep. Elaine Price, R-Coeur d’ Alene, says the legislation would bring the state in alignment with a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling. She said her co-sponsor has gotten the opinion of the Attorney General's Office, who she said likened the Blaine amendment to "a dead branch on a tree."
However, the ruling she referred to only means if a state appropriates public funds for private school tuition, it couldn't discriminate against religious schools.
When Rep. John Gannon, D-Boise, asked if a religious institution receiving state funds needed to conform to regulations and standards that public schools need to conform to, she said that falls outside the scope of this proposed constitutional amendment. She said that concern could be addressed later.
The bill still needs a hearing in committee before it can advance.
If the resolution, co-sponsored by Lenney, were to move out of committee, amending the state’s constitution would need two-thirds of each chamber’s support before the question goes before voters in the next general election.
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