Rabbi Shapiro in Tallahassee to Protect Religious Freedoms for All Floridians

Rabbi Merrill Shapiro and Reverend Harry Parrot Consulting on Testimony Before Florida's Taxation and Budget Reform Commission



Rabbi Shapiro in Tallahassee to Protect Religious Freedoms for All Floridians

Rabbi Merrill Shapiro testified before the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission as the group of political appointees was prepared to vote on an amendment to the state’s constitution that would repeal provisions limiting the use of tax dollars to support religious institutions. The commission was considering Constitutional Proposal CP 0020, “A resolution proposing an amendment to Section 3 of Article I of the State Constitution to repeal a limit on the use of public revenues in aid of religious organizations and entities, and to prohibit individuals and entities from being barred from participating in public programs because of their religion.”

The resolution grew out of a Florida Supreme Court decision in the case of Bush v. Holmes in which the justices relied on Florida’s Blaine Amendment, to invalidate the Opportunity Scholarship Program because the state was sending checks to religious schools, colleges and universities rather than to public institutions.

Rabbi Shapiro spoke in his capacity as Vice-President of the national Board of Trustees of Americans United for Separation of Church and State and was joined by Reverend Harry Parrott, a Baptist Minister from Clay County, Florida and representatives from the Anti-Defamation League, National Council of Jewish Women, People for the American Way and the Florida Education Association. In a letter to the commission, Shapiro argued for the retention of Florida’s Blaine Amendment, the constitutional provision prohibiting the expenditure of taxpayer dollars for religious purposes.