On Friday, The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights held a public briefing on "School Choice, the Blaine Amendments and Anti-Catholicisim". (Media advisory). CNS News reported today on the briefing. Those testifying included Anthony Picarello, vice president of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. He argued that Blaine Amendments are "the last constitutional weapon available to attack democratically enacted, religion-neutral school voucher programs or social service programs that contract with faith-based providers." Richard Komer, a senior litigation attorney at the Institute for Justice also argued in favor of school vouchers, saying that the public schools are expensive failures.
Opposing school vouchers and supporting policies behind Blaine Amendments were Ellen Johnson, president of the American Atheists and Hollyn Hollman, general counsel of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. Hollman said that Blaine Amendments protect religious institutions from government interference.
