Bush administration to argue for vouchers at supreme court. (People & Events).

The Bush administration has asked for and won the right to argue in favor of religious school vouchers before the U.S. Supreme Court this month.

The justices have granted a request from Solicitor General Theodore Olson to argue a pro-voucher position during the court's Feb. 20 deliberations of a case that will determine the constitutionality of vouchers.

The case, Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, challenges an Ohio law that provides vouchers for students in Cleveland. More than 90 percent of the programs funding is going to religious schools. The law is being challenged by Americans United and its allies in the public education and civil liberties communities.

Although the Ohio program is state-supported and involves no federal money, the Bush administration has had a strong interest in the case all along. Last year, the solicitor general's office filed a brief urging the Supreme Court to hear the case. The step was seen as unusual because normally the office does not weigh in on cases where no federal issue is at stake.

Oral arguments at the Supreme Court last one hour, with each side allotted 30 minutes. An attorney with the state of Ohio will handle the bulk of the provoucher argument, giving Olson about 10 minutes. Bob Chanin, an attorney with the National Education Association, will present the anti-voucher argument.

A decision in the case is expected by early July.

In other news, Bush administration officials are considering a plan for a private-school tax credit. The Washington Post reported in January that Bush may put forward the concept as part of a package of domestic-policy ideas designed to focus more attention on the president's legislative agenda.