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From the Washington Post
With little public attention or even notice, the House of Representatives has passed a bill that undermines enforcement of the First Amendment's separation of church and state. The Public Expression of Religion Act - H.R. 2679 - provides that attorneys who successfully challenge government actions as violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment shall not be entitled to recover attorneys fees. The bill has only one purpose: to prevent suits challenging unconstitutional government actions advancing religion.
Please to be noting that the actual law says (and this is most of the text; it's a short law...if you want to see all of it, search on Thomas for HR 2679):
(a) In General- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a court shall not award reasonable fees and expenses of attorneys to the prevailing party on a claim of injury consisting of the violation of a prohibition in the Constitution against the establishment of religion brought against the United States or any agency or any official of the United States acting in his or her official capacity in any court having jurisdiction over such claim, and the remedies with respect to such a claim shall be limited to injunctive and declaratory relief.
(b) Definition- As used in this section, the term `a claim of injury consisting of the violation of a prohibition in the Constitution against the establishment of religion' includes, but is not limited to, a claim of injury resulting from--
(1) a veterans' memorial's containing religious words or imagery;
(2) a Federal building's containing religious words or imagery;
(3) the presence of religious words or imagery in the official seal of the United States and in its currency and official Pledge; or
(4) the chartering of Boy Scout units by components of the Armed Forces of the United States and by other public entities, and the Boy Scouts' using Department of Defense and other public installations.
Bolding is my own, just so you're not thinking that this is /just/ about old buildings and seals. Or the freakin' Boy Scouts. (Either you're a public institution, or you're private. Get over yourself.)
This bill has been passed by the House, and will go to the Senate after the recess...which luckily falls /after/ the election. If you care about the ability to for those who have been discriminated against by the government on the basis of religion, ensure that you consider this law when you head to the election booths for Senate races. It's important...just because you're Christian, doesn't mean that you won't be discriminated against. You may be Catholic, or Mormon, or Christian Scientist, or you may just be the wrong flavor of mainstream Protestant for some prick in an office.
With little public attention or even notice, the House of Representatives has passed a bill that undermines enforcement of the First Amendment's separation of church and state. The Public Expression of Religion Act - H.R. 2679 - provides that attorneys who successfully challenge government actions as violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment shall not be entitled to recover attorneys fees. The bill has only one purpose: to prevent suits challenging unconstitutional government actions advancing religion.
Please to be noting that the actual law says (and this is most of the text; it's a short law...if you want to see all of it, search on Thomas for HR 2679):
(a) In General- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a court shall not award reasonable fees and expenses of attorneys to the prevailing party on a claim of injury consisting of the violation of a prohibition in the Constitution against the establishment of religion brought against the United States or any agency or any official of the United States acting in his or her official capacity in any court having jurisdiction over such claim, and the remedies with respect to such a claim shall be limited to injunctive and declaratory relief.
(b) Definition- As used in this section, the term `a claim of injury consisting of the violation of a prohibition in the Constitution against the establishment of religion' includes, but is not limited to, a claim of injury resulting from--
(1) a veterans' memorial's containing religious words or imagery;
(2) a Federal building's containing religious words or imagery;
(3) the presence of religious words or imagery in the official seal of the United States and in its currency and official Pledge; or
(4) the chartering of Boy Scout units by components of the Armed Forces of the United States and by other public entities, and the Boy Scouts' using Department of Defense and other public installations.
Bolding is my own, just so you're not thinking that this is /just/ about old buildings and seals. Or the freakin' Boy Scouts. (Either you're a public institution, or you're private. Get over yourself.)
This bill has been passed by the House, and will go to the Senate after the recess...which luckily falls /after/ the election. If you care about the ability to for those who have been discriminated against by the government on the basis of religion, ensure that you consider this law when you head to the election booths for Senate races. It's important...just because you're Christian, doesn't mean that you won't be discriminated against. You may be Catholic, or Mormon, or Christian Scientist, or you may just be the wrong flavor of mainstream Protestant for some prick in an office.