Written by Don Byrd
I have written previously about the ballot initiative in Oklahoma that would remove a key religious liberty protection from the state constitution. (The BJC encourages Oklahoma voters to vote No on SQ 790.) Now, a ballot measure in nearby Missouri is raising concerns among many religious liberty advocates because of its reference to a similar provision in Missouri law.
Amendment 3 would fund early education programs with money raised from an increased tobacco tax. But it clarifies that such funds “shall not be limited or prohibited by the provisions of Article IX, section 8.” That provision prohibits the state government from using taxpayer money to aid religion or religious education.
AU’s Rev. Barry Lynn and ACLU-Missouri’s Jeffrey Mittman argue that Amendment 3 would harm religious liberty in the state, in an St. Louis Post-Dispatch column published today. Here is an excerpt:
Missourians deserve to know why a tax on tobacco has a hidden agenda to curtail their religious freedom. Missourians deserve to know when their rights are at stake.
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If Amendment 3 passes, it would mean that public dollars could fund religious programs and institutions. . . . .
The creators of the Missouri Constitution understood the dangers of government-sponsored religion. Our constitution rightly prohibits public funds from going to religious institutions. This is a fundamental protection for religious freedom, guaranteeing public dollars cannot be used to promote religion, over nonreligion or any particular religion.
Missouri voters will have their voices heard on Nov. 8. Stay tuned.
