March 2019 Church & State Magazine - March 2019

Arizona License Plate Funds Religious Right Group

  Rob Boston

Residents of Arizona who want a special license plate reading “In God We Trust” may not be aware that they’re also making a donation to a Religious Right legal group.

Under a state program, residents can pay $25 for the special plate. The state says that $17 “goes to promote the national motto ‘In God We Trust’, 1st amendment rights and the heritage of this state and nation” – but fails to make it clear that the money is being given to Alliance Defending Freedom, a controversial Religious Right legal group that works to undermine LGBTQ rights, interject fundamentalist Christianity in public schools and government, end legal abortion and promote a definition of religious freedom that allows for discrimination.

The group, which is based in Scottsdale, has received nearly $1 million under the program. Its annual budget is $55 million.

A state lawmaker, Sen. Juan Mendez (D-Dist. 26), has introduced legislation to create a publicly available list of groups that benefit financially from specialty plates. Mendez has also introduced legislation to get rid of the “In God We Trust’ plate.

BREAKING NEWS

Americans United & the National Women’s Law Center file suit to challenge Missouri’s abortion bans.

Abortion bans violate the separation of church and state. Americans United and the National Women’s Law Center—the leading experts in religious freedom and gender justice—have joined forces with thirteen clergy from six faith traditions to challenge Missouri’s abortion bans as unconstitutionally imposing one narrow religious doctrine on everyone.


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