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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org TALLAHASSEE, Fla. 鈥� The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Florida joined other civil liberties, religious and education organizations in filing a lawsuit today challenging the ballot language of a proposed Florida amendment that would eliminate Florida鈥檚 ban on taxpayer funding of religious organizations and create a virtual requirement that public funds be used to support religious institutions. 鈥淟awmakers fabricated Florida history and deceived their colleagues to get this misleading proposal before the public,鈥� said Howard Simon, executive director of the ACLU of Florida. Earlier this month, the ACLU issued a report refuting the erroneous argument from the amendment鈥檚 supporters that the longstanding ban is rooted in anti-Catholic bias. 鈥淚t鈥檚 clear what they really want is to force taxpayers to support churches, mosques and synagogues and re-fight Florida鈥檚 voucher wars,鈥� Simon said. 鈥淭hey should have just taken those radical ideas to the public instead of disguising them in this inaccurate, misleading and phony notion of 鈥榬eligious freedom鈥� when what they really want is to take away your freedom to support the religion of your choice or none at all.鈥� "The ballot language is written to fool Floridians into approving a measure that actually strips away religious liberty protections," said Daniel Mach, director of the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief. "Florida voters have a right to know what this proposal would really mean: abandoning over 100 years of constitutional safeguards and opening the door to taxpayer funded religious discrimination and indoctrination." More information on this lawsuit can be found at: www.aclu.org/religion-belief/rabbi-merrill-shapiro-et-al-v-kurt-browning

The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Florida joined other civil liberties, religious and education organizations in filing a lawsuit challenging the ballot language of a proposed Florida amendment that would eliminate Florida’s ban on taxpayer funding of religious organizations and create a virtual requirement that public funds be used to support religious institutions – institutions that hold beliefs to which many Floridians don't subscribe.