Kentucky Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a Baptist univ can't keep $11M to open a pharmacy school

[Are_grits_groceries]

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a Baptist university can't keep $11 million awarded by state lawmakers some four years ago to open a pharmacy school.

The case, which involves the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, had been closely watched by advocates for other church-affiliated schools that have largely been excluded in the past from state funding for construction projects.

A trial court judge had ruled in 2008 that the appropriation to the private, church-affiliated university violates the state constitution. The university's attorneys appealed directly to the supreme court, skipping the court of appeals, in hopes of a quicker decision.

Lawmakers had appropriated $10 million in 2006 to build a pharmacy school on the southeastern Kentucky campus and an additional $1 million for scholarships for pharmacy students.

Justice Lisabeth Abramson, writing for the majority, said the appropriations violated two sections of the state constitution.

"If Kentucky needs to expand the opportunities for pharmacy school education within the commonwealth, the Kentucky General Assembly may most certainly address that pressing public need, but not by appropriating public funds to an educational institution that is religiously affiliated," Abramson wrote.

Abramson also said the scholarship program "is precisely the type of special privilege and favoritism" that the constitution condemns.

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2010/04/22/1235207/ky-supreme-court-rules-against.html#ixzz0lupGRDLS

Hope the Supreme Court doesn't overturn this.

[seeviewonder]

1. Didn't see that verdict coming

from any court in Kentucky, especially their Supreme Court. You're right, I hope SCOTUS doesn't overturn their ruling since that would open the door for places like Liberty U and Regent U to get public money to support their fundamentalist agenda.

[Lasher]

2. I wonder if there are precedents

If the Kentucky legislature gets by with this, then the door will be wide open for public funding of religious schools.

[RC]

3. People seem to be missing a subtle point here

North Dakota measure: No 'burdens' on religious freedom

Posted: Thursday, April 22, 2010 1:16 pm | (1) Comments


BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Supports of a proposed North Dakota constitutional amendment say it would strengthen religious freedoms in the state.

Secretary of State Al Jaeger is reviewing the measure. It will need almost 26,000 petition signatures to get on the November general election ballot.

The proposed amendment says the government may not penalize anyone for refusing to do something because of their religious beliefs — unless the government has a "compelling interest'' in the matter.

For example, the amendment could protect a medical provider who didn't want to distribute birth control devices.

Several state legislators and the bishops of the Fargo and Bismarck Roman Catholic dioceses are members of the initiative's sponsoring committee.


http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/article_2b6683ae-4e49-11df-8ee7-001cc4c002e0.html?mode=story

My response:
Comments:
http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/article_2b6683ae-4e49-11df-8ee7-001cc4c002e0.html?mode=comments

fgores said on: April 22, 2010, 4:48 pm
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

The First Amendment also means Freedom FROM religion, as well as Freedom OF religion.
Other people's religion may not have the problems your religion has with certain products. You want them to stay out of your religion? You stay our of theirs! Don't like the product? Don't buy it. It's that simple.
What we have here are a group of people trying to foster their religious beliefs on the rest of us, with the force of law.
If your religion causes you to have a problem buying/selling legal products as part of your job, then maybe you should not be working there in the first place. Ya think?

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The right is working to take away our freedom to buy birth control. You can bet your last 50¢ they are trying this exact same thing in other red states also. If any state is dumb enough to do this and they get it to stick, that sets the precedent to expand this idiocy across the country.
The frog in the pan of slowly heating water comes to mind again.