Gov. Sandoval wants Nevada voucher lawsuit resolved


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Gov. Brian Sandoval is pushing for court proceedings to take place as soon as possible to resolve a lawsuit over a controversial Nevada education funding program.

Sandoval is calling on Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt to expedite the lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada last Thursday, the Las Vegas Sun reported (http://bit.ly/1EHi5e2 ).

In a Friday statement, the Republican governor said he wants the lawsuit dealt with quickly on behalf of thousands of parents who have applied for the state's voucher program but are now left in limbo while courts determine its constitutionality.

"I believe it is in the best interest of the state and our education system to avoid these costly legal battles by seeking an expedited hearing on this matter and, if necessary, a final ruling by the Nevada Supreme Court," Sandoval said in the statement.

Nevada's voucher program, set to take effect on Jan. 1, has been called one of the most wide-reaching in the nation. It would allow parents to receive around $5,000 in state funds to pay for private school or tutoring.

The ACLU filed suit in Clark County district court, hoping to block the program before it starts next year. The organization argues that the voucher program will use taxpayer money fund religious institutions.

The majority of private schools in Nevada are religious.

Sandoval called the lawsuit "disappointing."

The program's defenders say it is constitutional because the state puts the funds in a savings account for parents rather than giving the money directly to religious schools.

___

Information from: Las Vegas Sun, http://www.lasvegassun.com

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Most recent U.S. stories

Related topics

U.S.
The Associated Press

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast