A new move in Albany to strike the Blaine Amendment, prohibiting state aid to religious schools, from the New York State Constitution was labeled today as a “blatant, foolish and unnecessary disregard of the voter’s will.” William Haddad, co-chairman of the Committee for Public Education and Religious Liberty, said his group will reactivate itself to fight a bill introduced into the State Senate by Republican Majority leader Eari W. Brydges. calling for repeal of the Blaine Amendment.
The Committee for Public Education and Religious Liberty which includes leading Jewish fraternal and service organizations and representative groups of Conservative and Reform Judaism, was established last year in opposition to a new State Constitution which would have eliminated the Blaine Amendment. The new constitution was decisively defeated by the voters of New York State last November, mainly on the issue of state aid to religious schools. The new constitution was supported, among others, by Roman Catholic and Orthodox Jewish groups.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.