" Recent studies agree that students who use vouchers do not make academic gains and are likely to suffer academic losses but, already approved by their Senate, the Florida House of Reps. passed another voucher program, this time directly funded by taxpayers. They rejected all Democratic amendments, even one to stop people who had been previously convicted of fraud from opening a charter school!The state constitution prohibits use of public funds for religious schools, and in the past lawmakers used a “work-around,” like tuition tax credits, to pretend that public funds were not going directly to religious schools. This bill avoids the pretense. Money to pay for religious schools will come out of the public fund for public schools. This will harm the public schools that enroll more than 80% of the state’s students."