The Theocracy of Florida

http://www.examiner.com/x-41585-Portland-Church--State-Examiner~y2010m4d7-Florida-Senate-takes-step-toward-state-funding-of-religious-institutions

Remind me never to move to Florida:

This week, the Florida Senate moved closer to a Constitutional amendment permitting the state to hand taxpayer dollars to churches and religious schools.
Florida Senate Joint Resolution 2550 is being described by Florida Republicans as promoting "religious freedom". However, even a review of its summary speaks volumes to the contrary:

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 3 of Article I of the State Constitution to provide that an individual may not be barred from participating in any public program because of choosing to use public benefits at a religious provider and to delete a prohibition against using public revenues in aid of any church, sect, or religious denomination or any sectarian institution. (emphasis added - MD)

It might be more accurately called the "freedom to fund religion" amendment!
The bill was presented to the Senate's Committee on Education, PreK-12 yesterday. Brought to the floor ten minutes before the close of the session, there was no opportunity for debate or public comment, and it was quickly brought to a vote by the Republican majority.

The 6-2 vote fell on party lines; the bill now goes to the full Senate and House, where it must receive 60% of the vote in each chamber before heading to the ballot for a November referendum.

Changing the state constitution has been a goal of Florida Republicans since 2004, when a school voucher program was terminated because it provided taxpayer funds to religious schools.

In 2008, the Florida State Budget and Tax Reform Commission attempted to place a similar measure on the ballot. Florida Amendment 7 was struck down in a unanimous decision by the Florida Supreme Court, which questioned whether the Commission had overstepped its bounds and was attempting to mislead voters with the language.
Like the current proposal:

Amendment 7 would have removed a clause in Florida’s Constitution that prohibits state money going “directly” or “indirectly” to religious institutions.
Potential outcomes of SJR2550? The purported intent, to allow the transfer of taxpayer funds to religious schools via a voucher program, is bad enough. With language is so vague, simply eliminating any prohibition on directing taxpayer funds to religious institutions, the State of Florida could conceivably:

Skip the voucher program entirely and hand funds to religious schools of the Legislature's choice;

Establish an economic stimulus program using taxpayer funds to re-roof houses of worship, and even limit it to (for example) Florida's Baptist churches;

Provide "stimulus payments" to religious institutions for hiring additional preachers;

Pay victims of Catholic priests' sexual abuse; and

Fund printing of religious texts.

Would any of these things happen? Maybe, maybe not. The language is so vague that all of them could.

Joe Little, professor of constitutional law at the University of Florida, doesn't think the bill will pass muster:

The position of the people of the United States since 1790 is, 'We don't want to have state religion, we don't want government involved in religion.' The Republicans of Florida can't eliminate that without getting rid of the First Amendment of the Constitution.


Courtenay Strickland of the Florida chapter of the ACLU is still concerned. Says Ms. Strickland:

That is a problem for the free exercise of religion because we don't want our government influencing which religious programs are there for people and which ones aren't.

No quotes from nonreligious folk seem to be forthcoming. How's this? Mike Daniels of the Paliban Daily opines,

Taxpayer funds are not voluntary donations but are rather collected under threat of prosecution. Under no circumstance should these funds be distributed to religious or other organizations to operate programs which discriminate against others on the basis of religion or religious doctrine, or which attempt to indoctrinate people into a particular religion.

As it is not possible for a religious school to avoid indoctrinating students into the sponsoring institution's religion, taxpayer funds should not be provided to religious schools.”

Potential state funding of religion, welcome to the theocratic state of Florida.