Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) met with Congressman Turner (NY-9) in Albany today to discuss a major initiative underway in Washington involving federal financial assistance for parents who send their children to private and parochial schools. Congressman Turner advised the Assemblyman that he is working with other members of Congress on the possibility of offering these parents tax credits and other options.

The Assemblyman and Congressman also conversed about the timely issue of allowing religious groups to utilize public school facilities for prayer and other religious activities. A bill in the Assembly (A8800A), of which Hikind is a co-sponsor, would amend the State Education Law to allow religious meetings and services to take place in public school buildings and sites when the school is not in use, or when the school is in use, but the trustees of the Board of Education determine that such use will not be “disruptive of normal school operations.”

“The Congressman and I are in complete agreement about this issue,” said Hikind. “There is absolutely no reason in the world why religious groups should not be able to use public school facilities when school is not in session. These groups pay to use the premises and are not disruptive to anyone. There is really no justification for the City to block these groups from making use of the facilities for prayer services or other religious purposes. I thank Congressman Turner for being at the forefront of these issues and representing the interests of our community in Washington.”

“Whether it’s helping to ease the financial burden for parents who choose to educate their children privately or tackling the issue of permitting prayer services in a vacant public school building, I have always been and remain committed to improving the quality-of-life for all Americans, particularly those who reside in the 9th Congressional District,” remarked Turner.