thanks Paul in here ░░░░░░░░ us now is Lindsey ░░░░░░░░ director of the Center ░░░░░░░░ Education Policy at The ░░░░░░░░ Foundation Lindsay it s ░░░░░░░░ to have you this ░░░░░░░░ how did today s ░░░░░░░░ level the playing field ░░░░░░░░ religious schools and institutions ░░░░░░░░ today was just a ░░░░░░░░ win for both families ░░░░░░░░ the Constitution the court ░░░░░░░░ that excluding religious schools ░░░░░░░░ Montana school choice program ░░░░░░░░ simply unconstitutional and that ░░░░░░░░ exercise means that you ░░░░░░░░ discriminate against people just ░░░░░░░░ they are religious so ░░░░░░░░ was really just a ░░░░░░░░ win for families a ░░░░░░░░ win for school choice ░░░░░░░░ a huge win for ░░░░░░░░ Constitution overall Lindsey what ░░░░░░░░ this do for the ░░░░░░░░ choice movement overall and ░░░░░░░░ possible expansion of voucher ░░░░░░░░ throughout the country well ░░░░░░░░ bottom line really is ░░░░░░░░ states can no longer ░░░░░░░░ the Federal Constitution prevent ░░░░░░░░ from choosing religious schools ░░░░░░░░ they are participating in ░░░░░░░░ state school choice program ░░░░░░░░ for states that have ░░░░░░░░ choice programs in place ░░░░░░░░ must allow private religious ░░░░░░░░ to participate that is ░░░░░░░░ guaranteed to be an ░░░░░░░░ for a family if ░░░░░░░░ state operates of the ░░░░░░░░ choice program so this ░░░░░░░░ means at the end ░░░░░░░░ the day families participating ░░░░░░░░ private school choice programs ░░░░░░░░ the entire range of ░░░░░░░░ schooling options available to ░░░░░░░░ and this is really ░░░░░░░░ because we know that ░░░░░░░░ often choose schools based ░░░░░░░░ whether or not those ░░░░░░░░ align with their values ░░░░░░░░ this was really an ░░░░░░░░ step forward to acknowledge ░░░░░░░░ private religious schools which ░░░░░░░░ often what they re ░░░░░░░░ for when it comes ░░░░░░░░ that values alignment or ░░░░░░░░ part of that overall ░░░░░░░░ that are available to ░░░░░░░░ so critics Lindsay of ░░░░░░░░ s ruling say Montana ░░░░░░░░ no aid a provision ░░░░░░░░ turned into must aid ░░░░░░░░ the hand of taxpayers ░░░░░░░░ object to funding religious ░░░░░░░░ what do you say ░░░░░░░░ that well first of ░░░░░░░░ Montana s program was ░░░░░░░░ tax credit scholarship program ░░░░░░░░ and that s really ░░░░░░░░ and I think is ░░░░░░░░ lost in the conversation ░░░░░░░░ tax credit scholarship program ░░░░░░░░ whole way that it ░░░░░░░░ is through private donations ░░░░░░░░ a private nonprofit scholarship ░░░░░░░░ organization that then provides ░░░░░░░░ funding those those dollars ░░░░░░░░ a private individual student ░░░░░░░░ attend a private school ░░░░░░░░ choice so it is ░░░░░░░░ from beginning to end ░░░░░░░░ never goes to the ░░░░░░░░ of the government that ░░░░░░░░ an important distinction that ░░░░░░░░ gets lost in this ░░░░░░░░ conversation but the bottom ░░░░░░░░ is this this is ░░░░░░░░ neutral if a state ░░░░░░░░ a private school choice ░░░░░░░░ they have to allow ░░░░░░░░ option the opportunity to ░░░░░░░░ and cannot exclude schools ░░░░░░░░ schools simply because they ░░░░░░░░ values based or religious ░░░░░░░░ schools Lindsay real quickly ░░░░░░░░ the White House issued ░░░░░░░░ statement saying states may ░░░░░░░░ longer hide behind rules ░░░░░░░░ by insidious bias to ░░░░░░░░ religious schools from public ░░░░░░░░ the administration calls the ░░░░░░░░ for school choice a ░░░░░░░░ rights issue do you ░░░░░░░░ in about 30 seconds ░░░░░░░░ that s right and ░░░░░░░░ re also right to ░░░░░░░░ the really sordid history ░░░░░░░░ Blaine amendments I mean ░░░░░░░░ were amendments that were ░░░░░░░░ in 1875 really to ░░░░░░░░ the proliferation of private ░░░░░░░░ schools and this is ░░░░░░░░ that Justice Thomas recognized ░░░░░░░░ the way back in ░░░░░░░░ he said that Blaine ░░░░░░░░ were a doctrine or ░░░░░░░░ of bigotry and should ░░░░░░░░ buried now and this ░░░░░░░░ why today s victory ░░░░░░░░ really a big victory ░░░░░░░░ takes us one step ░░░░░░░░ to that goal that ░░░░░░░░ Thomas identified over 20 ░░░░░░░░ ago all right Lindsey ░░░░░░░░ at The Heritage Foundation ░░░░░░░░ believe it there thank ░░░░░░░░ so much for joining ░░░░░░░░ this evening thank you ░░░░░░░░ having me thanks Lindsey