Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Rep. Nelson Praises Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship Ruling

OKLAHOMA CITY –State Rep. Jason Nelson issued the following statement after the Oklahoma Supreme Court today ruled unanimously that the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Act in 2010 does not violate Section 5 of Article 2 of the Oklahoma Constitution, also referred to as Blaine Amendment. Rep. Nelson was the House author of House Bill 3393 that created the scholarships in 2010.

“I’m relieved and excited for the students and families who now have certainty about the program. I know that they have worried that they would wake up to learn that the law had been struck down but they don’t need to worry any longer. The nearly six year old question has been answered.

“We have always known that we are on the right side of the law, and this ruling today confirms what we have always believed. It is a wonderful program that hurts no one but one that has changed lives for the better. Some parents have told me that it saved their child’s life. They’ve told me that their children were bullied without mercy at school and nothing was being done to stop it. Some of them even feared their children would take their life as a result.

“I am very grateful for the many people who have supported this policy and also those who fought for it in court. In particular, I am grateful to former Governor Brad Henry, Attorney General Scott Pruitt, Solicitor General Patrick Wyrick, Assistant Solicitor General Sara Greenwald and my colleague Senator Patrick Anderson, along with a host of associations and organizations who helped along the way. Finally, I am certainly thankful for the justices of our Supreme Court for their faithfulness to the Constitution in their decision today.”

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