ACTION ALERT
Will Congress price us out of defending our Constitutional rights?
Sep. 26 update: Today the House of Representatives passed this legislation 244-173. The roll call vote can be found on the House website.
Sep. 7 update: Today the Judiciary Committee passed the bill on a voice vote. (There is no record of how each individual Representative on the committee voted.) PERA now goes to the full Congress. The Secular Coalition for America's letter opposing the bill was entered into the Congressional Record along with those of allied organizations. (Webmaster's note: Also see our Jun. 21 alert, now archived, about the Public Expression of Religion Act.)
Sep. 5, 2006 - This Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee will move a bill designed to make it too expensive to defend against government establishment of religion (e.g., public school prayer, federal support of theist-only organizations, required recitation of religious oaths, etc.). The so-called Public Expression of Religion Act would single out Establishment Clause cases as an exception to the rule which currently allows awards of fees and costs to winners in actions to enforce the U.S. Constitution.
Those proposing the bill claim that the threat of lawsuits stifles permissible freedom of religion. If that were the case, then the bill would apply to all church/state cases; however, it doesn't. Those who sue to claim that a greater mixture of religion and government is permissible are still allowed to receive fees and costs (thus, if we are to follow the proponents' logic, chilling anyone who wishes to maintain Constitutionally guaranteed church/state separation but is scared off by the threat of lawsuit awards.) In fact, during a subcommittee hearing on this topic, the representative for a group which sues to get religion into government shunned the idea that this bill should be expanded to include their side as well.
Previously, we asked you to contact members of the House Judiciary Committee. Now that PERA has moved to the House floor, we need all Representatives to be urged to oppose this legislation.
Below you will find a sample letter regarding this issue.
Take a stand: Contact your Representative in the House and urge her/him to vote against the Public Expression of Religion Act.
You can contact your Representative through her/his website.
Below you will find a sample letter regarding this issue. Please feel free to adapt it to your voice, and to add any additional information of importance to you:
Dear Representative ________________,
I urge your opposition to the so-called Public Expression of Religion Act. Every citizen should be able to enforce his/her Constitutional rights regardless of financial means. By singling out Establishment Clause cases, the PERA clearly attempts to make it too expensive for religious minorities, including nontheistic Americans, to challenge governmental establishment of religion.
Public expression of religion is permitted on our streets, in churches, on every "soapbox" in every public square. Those who wish to impose their religious expression on our public school children during mandatory attendance, on our tax dollars, and in every area of our government, should NOT be encouraged to do so. We must maintain the ability to stop the unconstitutional encroachment of religion on our secular government.
Sincerely,
Your signature