NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      MADISON, Wisconsin (CWNews.com) - The Wisconsin Supreme Court decided in a landmark ruling on Wednesday that a state law letting parents use school vouchers to send their children to religious schools is constitutional.

      The court ruled 4-2 that the program does not violate the separate the judicially-imposed separation of church and state, because "it will not have the primary effect of advancing religion ..." Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson praised the decision as an historic one that "give parents the power to choose the best school for their children. It's a landmark victory for thousands of poor children ... giving them the freedom to pursue the strongest education possible."

      Proponents of school choice predicted that decision would have effects on programs around the country. The Herndon, Virginia-based Landmark Legal Foundation said: "The court has recognized two fundamental truths. First, that everyone, regardless of economic status, should have access to a quality education, and second, that traditional public schools, with their self-interested administrators and all-powerful teachers' unions, are not the only places where children can receive a first-rate education."

      The current program in effect in Milwaukee is being expanded to allow 15,000 poor children in the city to attend the private school of their choice, religious or secular, using education tax dollars.