July 20, 2011
CONTACT: media@aclufl.org
MIAMI -The ACLU is part of the legal team challenging the ballot language of proposed Amendment 7 (HJR1471) which would eliminate Florida’s ban on taxpayer funding of religious activities (commonly called “no-aid”) and create a virtual requirement that public funds be used to support religious institutions.
On July 12, 2011, the ACLU issued a report exposing the myth of anti-Catholic bias related to Florida’s “no-aid” ban. This fabrication of anti-Catholic bias was used by Legislators and others to win support for the proposal.
A link to the report and a statement from Howard Simon, Executive Director of the ACLU of Florida, about the legal challenge is below.
The report is here: http://www.aclufl.org/pdfs/ACLU-ExposingtheMythofAntiCatholicBias.pdf
Statement from Howard Simon on legal challenge to misleading ballot language:
“Lawmakers fabricated Florida history and deceived their colleagues to get this misleading proposal to change Florida’s Constitution before the public.
“It’s clear what they really want is to force taxpayers to support churches, mosques and synagogues and re-fight Florida’s voucher wars.
“They should have just taken those radical ideas to the public instead of disguising them in this inaccurate, misleading and phony notion of ‘religious freedom’ when what they really want is to take away your freedom to support the religion of your choice or none at all.”
2011 Press Releases
