In 1875, Republican Rep. James G. Blaine (R–Maine), then speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, proposed a constitutional amendment to outlaw government aid to educational institutions with a religious affiliation. This idea was largely motivated by anti-immigrant bigotry and targeted Catholic schools serving large immigrant populations.
That amendment never came to pass, but Blaine's crusade led many states to add similar provisions to their constitutions. Today, 37 state constitutions have "Blaine amendments." Under the guise of defending the "separation of church and state," these policies have been a roadblock to school choice programs that include religious schools.
