The Supreme Court ruled today that Arizona candidates who have opted in to the state’s public financing system can’t collect matching funds—the money allotted to candidates who are up against particularly well-funded opponents or interest groups—until the Court has time to consider whether the matching funds are constitutional.
After meeting with Senate Republicans yesterday, President Obama announced that he would send up to 1,200 additional National Guard troops to the Southwest border and would request an extra $500 million in border security spending from Congress. The move was advocated by Sen. John McCain and Sen. Jon Kyl, both of whom have retreated from their previous support of comprehensive immigration reform.
Michael B. Keegan, President of People For the American Way, issued the following statement:"
The Arizona Senate yesterday passed one of the harshest immigration enforcement laws in the country. The bill, written by right-wing state senator Russell Pearce, would allow police to arrest anyone who could not immediately prove they are in the country legally. Despite criticism from civil liberties and immigrants’ rights groups, the bill is expected to be signed by Gov. Jan Brewer.
Michael B. Keegan, President of People For the American Way, issued the following statement:
The Arizona Court of Appeals today rejected publicly funded voucher schemes that send taxpayer money to religious and other private schools. People For the American Way, along with a group of allies, sued the state in 2006, pointing to clear language in the Arizona Constitution that forbids appropriating public money in aid of "private or sectarian schools."
The Religious Right continues to target public schools in a variety of ways that disrupt education and threaten religious liberty, according to a report released by People For the American Way Foundation (PFAWF). The report provides an in-depth analysis of the struggle over the future of our public education system by focusing on six categories: creationism; textbook controversies; sexuality education; religion and public schools; anti-gay activity and censorship.
Over the past 11 months, the school voucher movement has suffered one major political setback after another. Last November, Michigan and California became the latest states in which voters decisively defeated voucher initiatives. This spring, the Wisconsin Legislature refused to support a proposal to significantly expand the Milwaukee voucher plan—the nation’s longest-running, publicly funded voucher program.