Serious attempt to turn Florida into a Taliban-like state

With the passage of the Religious Freedom Act (HJR 1471) by the Florida Senate on May 6, a proposal to amend the state Constitution to allow the state government to allocate taxpayer money to religious organizations will be on the ballot November 6, 2012.  The House passed HJR 1471 in April.


The amendment essentially removes Article 1 Section 3 of Florida’s Constitution, known as the Blaine Amendment.


The Blaine Amendment refers to amendments that exist in 40 state constitutions that forbid direct government aid to educational institutions that have any religious affiliation.


In 1875, Republican Congressman James G. Blaine proposed an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to prohibit government funding to sectarian schools run by religious organizations. The amendment passed by a vote of 180 to 7 in the House of Representatives, but failed by four votes to achieve the necessary two-thirds vote in the Senate and it never became law.


But some states, including Florida, decided to incorporate the language of this amendment into their own constitutions.


The proposed language to repeal the Blaine Amendment reads as follows:


“Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to provide that no individual or entity may be discriminated against or barred from receiving funding on the basis of religious identity or belief and to delete the prohibition against using revenues from the public treasury directly or indirectly in aid of any church, sect, or religious denomination or in aid of any sectarian institution.”


The Florida Legislature sought to overturn the Blaine Amendment because they claimed it was an attack on “religious freedom.” 


What were they thinking? 


This is a blatant attempt to incorporate religious dogma into public affairs in total disregard of the First Amendment’s separation of church and state.


Anyone who thinks the Blaine Amendment is antiquated is wrong.  The antiquated ones are the members of the Legislature who are trying to make Florida a Taliban-like state!


On November 6, 2012 vote NO to this amendment.