Introduced in 1875, the original Blaine Amendment was an attempt to amend the U.S. Constitution by explicitly banning any government funds from going to “sectarian” institutions, aimed chiefly at Catholic and Lutheran schools. Today, 38 state constitutions have Blaine amendments that restrict government aid to “sectarian” organizations. Although many of the amendments have lain relatively dormant for decades, more and more frequently they are being invoked not against Catholics, but against religious believers generally. See also the Wikipedia entry.
