RNS
\nBy Susan Finch
\nNew Orleans – The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit in
\nfederal court here Monday (Aug. 13) to stop Louisiana from making
\ntaxpayer-financed donations to two churches.
\nThe gifts targeted in the case — $100,000 to the Stonewall Baptist
\nChurch in Bossier City and $20,000 to Shreveport Christian Church — are
\namong 14 appropriations that individual state lawmakers requested for
\nchurches in the new state budget signed into law last month by Gov.
\nKathleen Blanco.
\nCharging that earmarking church-related grants in the state budget
\nis unconstitutional and that the purposes of the grants are only vaguely
\ndescribed, the ACLU in late June asked Blanco to veto them all, warning
\nthe dispute could end up in court otherwise.
\nAccording to the ACLU, the state in certain circumstances can give
\nmoney to religious organizations for some programs that provide
\nnonreligious social services, but the First Amendment to the U.S.
\nConstitution bars the government from making direct, unrestricted cash
\npayments to churches.
\n“The state is doling out gifts to its preferred houses of worship
\nwith taxpayer money,” said ACLU attorney Daniel Mach, director of the
\nNew York-based organization’s Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief.
\nMach added that in vetoing a $75,000 appropriation for the Southern
\nUniversity marching band, the governor had said there are many college
\nmarching bands. “How can that possibly be the rule for marching bands
\nbut not churches?” Mach asked.
\nJoined in the lawsuit by its Louisiana affiliate, the national ACLU
\nalso complains that the state budget calls for no oversight of the money
\nthe Legislature set aside for the two churches.
\nMach said the ACLU tried unsuccessfully to get the Legislature to
\nturn over documents explaining the church grants in detail.
\nUnder a policy adopted earlier this year, House members must fill
\nout a detailed form when asking for money on behalf of nonprofit groups,
\nexplaining how the money will be used and who will benefit. But the
\nforms have been declared privileged “work product” and cannot be
\npublicly released unless the lawmaker sponsoring the amendment agrees in
\nwriting.
\nCopyright 2007 Religion News Service<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
RNS By Susan Finch New Orleans – The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit in federal court here Monday (Aug. 13) to stop Louisiana from making taxpayer-financed donations to two churches. The gifts targeted in the case — $100,000 to the Stonewall Baptist Church in Bossier City and $20,000 to Shreveport Christian Church — are…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n