Lawyers challenging Gov. Bobby Jindal's statewide voucher program are making their pitch to a judge that the program should be shut down.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Lawyers for unions and school boards challenging Gov. Bobby Jindal's statewide voucher program are making their pitch to a Baton Rouge judge that the program should be shut down.
Judge Tim Kelley began hearing arguments in the lawsuit Wednesday.
Two statewide teacher unions and 43 school boards say the voucher program using tax dollars to send children to private schools and other education funding plans are unconstitutional.
They argue it violates the Louisiana Constitution to pay for the programs through the public school funding formula, and they claim lawmakers didn't follow the process for passing laws.
Jindal and Superintendent of Education John White say the programs were funded and created in line with the constitution and state law.
More than 4,900 students are enrolled in 117 private schools with vouchers.