Kentucky's proposed Amendment 2, which will appear on ballots across the Commonwealth this Nov. 5, would change the state's constitution, allowing lawmakers to create a system to fund private schools using public money.
Dubbed the "school choice" amendment, the issue has sparked debate between supporters of school choice and public school advocates who say the amendment's passage would eventually gut funding for the state's public schools.
The debate around the issue has also led some to question why supporters on one side seem to have more freedom to speak about the amendment than the other.
An uneven playing field?
Bishops in Kentucky have voiced their support for Amendment 2, even using time during church services to encourage their congregations to vote "yes." That includes Bishop John Iffert of the Diocese of Covington, who says he supports the amendment and wants church-goers in Northern Kentucky to support it, too.
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While churches can't endorse a political candidate or their campaigns, they are allowed to speak in support of and advocate for certain political issues.
"We never endorse a candidate; we never denounce a candidate. We don't participate in that at all and that's partly required by law, by tax code, and it's partly our ethics," Bishop Iffert told WVXU. "But this amendment is different."
The Bishop says the church has gotten behind Amendment 2 because it aligns with its belief that parents should control their children's education and can increase access to religious education for families who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford it.
While it's within the church's rights to express support for the issue, some public school advocates — like Kelly Read of the Boone County Education Association, who opposes school choice — say the amendment contradicts much of the church's teachings and prioritizes a small number of private school students over the majority of Kentucky's kids.
"For me, it is kind of getting away from their mission," Read said. "Their mission is not to be talking about Amendment 2. It's about service to those who need it most, and Amendment 2 does not provide service to those that need it most."
Read also says the vocal support of Amendment 2 by churches and religious private schools highlights the uneven playing field public school advocates must navigate when discussing school choice.
In August, Kentucky's Attorney General Russell Coleman released an advisory to all public schools in the state, reminding them school employees cannot use school time or resources to campaign against the amendment, according to state and federal law.
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Read says this restriction has handcuffed many of Kentucky's public school teachers who oppose the amendment but can't always speak directly to their communities about it, while religious leaders have virtually no limitations.
"It's free rein on the other side," he said. "The people who are proponents of Amendment 2 are allowed to say whatever they want and in some respects, we have our [First] Amendment rights curtailed."
'It's not coercion'
Still, Bishop Iffert says the diocese isn't pressuring anyone in the religious community to vote against what they think is right. He says there's a diversity of opinions on the amendment within the church. And since the diocese shared its support for school choice, he's received several letters criticizing the decision.
"If you disagree with the bishops and you vote a different way on Amendment 2, there's no sense in which that would be labeled sin or anything like that. It's not coercion. It's trying to help inform folks on the ideas of why we support this amendment; why we think it is good for the community," Iffert said.
While public school educators can't use their platform like religious institutions can, public school advocates say they're still putting in plenty of time outside of school hours to make sure their communities are aware of Amendment 2 and are continuing to encourage them to vote "no" in November.
