Today, the US Supreme Court ordered Colorado’s highest court to reexamine a school voucher program that was struck down as unconstitutional.
In 2015 the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that the Douglas County School District may not provide its families vouchers to send their students to private schools.
The court’s ruling said the district’s Choice Scholarship Program was unconstitutional because it sent taxpayer dollars to religious institutions.
The school district, appealed to the Supreme Court.
The U.S. Supreme Court held off on considering the Colorado case for nearly two years as it considered a similar case from Missouri in which the Trinity Lutheran sued the state of Missouri after it prohibited the church from participating in a state program that used recycled tires to resurface playgrounds.
Like Colorado, Missouri’s constitution prohibits public money from going to religious institutions. However, the Supreme Court ruled yesterday that this is a violation of a church’s first amendment rights when the money is used for non-religious purposes. In the light of that ruling, The Supreme Court has now ordered Colorado’s Supreme Court to re consider Douglas County’s voucher program.
Boulder County’s Board of County Commissioners and Planning Commission will hold a public hearing tomorrow, regarding the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan.
The Plan sets goals and policies for Boulder’s land use, development, and growth both within the city limited and in unincorporated areas.
Some of the issues citizens might take with the plan concern the use of CU Boulder’s South property along Table Mesa and US 36. There has been extensive public comment at previous city council and planning meetings on this issue.
There is also expected to be a lot of public comment at tomorrow’s meeting on the current review process which requires approval from four government departments to change land-use designations.
The public hearing will take place on Wednesday at 1 pm in the Boulder County Courthouse.
Final voting on the Comprehensive Plan is to take place on July 26th.
