STATE OF THE STATES: Religious School Aid Battles Around The Country.

Action on vouchers or other types of religious school aid is expected across the country this year, according to Americans United States Legislative Coordinator Reese Aaron Isbell. In addition to Florida, Illinois and Pennsylvania, here are some of the states AU is monitoring:

Idaho: The state's new Republican governor, Dick Kempthorne, has announced support for a tuition tax credit proposal. The plan would allow any person or corporation who pays state income tax to donate toward the cost of a child's private or home education and receive a tax credit for the entire amount given.

Indiana: A new well-heeled voucher group has been formed, the Greater Education Opportunity Foundation. It is headed by longtime voucher activist Kevin Teasley, who chaired California's unsuccessful voucher ballot initiative in 1993.

Maryland: The Roman Catholic hierarchy has been pushing for textbook subsidies and technology aid for several years. Another effort is expected in 1999.

Massachusetts: The Becket Fund, a Catholic-oriented right-wing legal organization, is suing in federal court to have state constitutional provisions barring tax aid to religious schools declared unconstitutional. The group argues that the language is anti-Catholic.

Michigan: A pro-voucher group is trying to win a spot on the 2000 ballot for an amendment that would change the state constitution to allow vouchers.

Minnesota: Republicans in the legislature are expected to push for converting the state's tuition tax deduction program, which benefits primarily private school patrons, into tuition tax credits, a more direct form of aid. However, Gov. Jesse Ventura (Reform Party) opposes vouchers, as well as tuition tax credits.

Missouri: Some lawmakers are pushing a constitutional amendment to repeal Article I, Section 7, of the Missouri Constitution, which bars taxpayer aid to sectarian schools.

Nebraska: The state's Catholic bishops have announced another push for tuition tax credits. The issue has been raised repeatedly in Nebraska's unicameral legislature in recent years.

North Dakota: The State Association of Non-Public Schools has announced a drive for tuition tax credits.

Ohio: A group of Republican lawmakers has proposed expanding Cleveland's pilot voucher program to the entire state.

New York: Fourteen religious leaders have pulled together to pressure New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and the New York City Council to institute a "pilot" voucher program. The effort is being spearheaded by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York and includes some Protestant clergy and orthodox Jewish rabbis. The group, which calls itself New York Choice, held a kickoff press conference Nov 17.

Oregon: The Oregon School Choice Task Force, a group that favors religious school aid, has pledged to have a sympathetic lawmaker introduce a private school tax credit measure based on a controversial Arizona law. The measure would provide a dollar-for-dollar income tax credit for individuals who contribute money to private foundations that use the funds to pay for vouchers. The credit would start at $100 the first year and increase to $500 by the fifth year.

The Arizona version of this tax credit scheme is currently being challenged in state court, where critics have labeled it a "backdoor voucher." Opponents of the Oregon measure speculate that voucher supporters are going this route because a full-blown voucher referendum was beaten badly at the polls in 1990, 67 percent against to 33 percent for.

Texas: Gov. George W. Bush is expected to push for some type of voucher legislation this year, although it is unclear what form it will take. Bush and Lieutenant Governor Rick Perry say they support a pilot program aimed at students in low-performing schools.

"We ought to say as a society Texas is bold enough to try," Bush told The Houston Chronicle. "If it works, great. If it doesn't, we tried."

Virginia: Two Republican members of the House of Delegates plan to introduce legislation giving income tax deductions to parents who educate their children in religious, private or home schools. Reps. Jay Katzen of Fauquier County and Richard Black of Loudoun County are social-issue conservatives with ties to the Religious Right. Their proposal calls for phasing in the deduction over five years. It would start at $560 and rise to $2,500.

Some Democratic lawmakers have vowed to oppose the measure. "They're just trying to do [vouchers] under another guise," Del. Robert Brink of Arlington County told The Washington Times. "I can't see how anybody who is opposed to the notion of vouchers could fail to see that."

Republican Gov. James Gilmore has not announced a position on the tax deduction measure, but Robin DeJarnette of the Virginia Family Foundation, a Religious Right group, said, "If it passes the House and the Senate, I can't imagine he would not sign it."

(For regular updates on church-state bills in the state legislatures, visit the Americans United website at www.au.org)