NELCG – Library

A proposed religious liberty amendment to Missouri's Constitution failed for the third year in a row, due in part to opposition by anti-religious-liberty groups. The American Civil Liberties Union, the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, liberal Baptist groups and Jewish organizations decried the bill as empowering the Christian community to "place its symbols and impose its prayers on others in the public square." Joe Ortwerth, executive director for the Missouri Family Policy Council, said, "The proposal has overwhelming bipartisan support in both chambers of the Legislature, and is being consistently blocked by the filibuster tactics of a couple of liberal state senators." Ortwerth indicated the religious liberty amendment was designed to protect the religious freedoms of all Missourians. [CitizenLink.com]