February 25, 2000
UPDATE ON THE RELIGIOUS LIBERTY PROTECTION ACT
From: American Atheists
After months of delay, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has introduced the Religious Liberty Protection Act of 2000, S. 2081. The measure is essentially the same as the version passed last year by the U.S. House of Representatives. RLPA would require that governments employ a "compelling interest/least restrictive means" test when dealing with faith based groups and practices.
RLPA is modeled on the old Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in the historic 1997 BOERNE v. FLORES decision. Justices ruled that RFRA was an unconstitutional extension of congressional authority, and sought to exempt religious groups from "generally applicable" and neutral civil laws.
Justice John Paul Stevens wrote that RFRA provided faith-based organizations with a legal instrument that "no atheist" could hope to obtain, and thus violated the separation of church and state.
Action on the Religious Liberty Protection Act of 2000 could come at any time.
We urge you to contact your Senator now, and speak about against this legislation. Already, thousands of letters of opposition from members and supporters have been personally delivered to capitol hill by American Atheists President Ellen Johnson. We also generated hundreds of letters last November, when there were reports that a previous version of RLPA might be fast-tracked to the Senate floor for a vote.
Now, we need to stop RLPA-2000. Even if you have contacted your senator about this measure, we are asking you to write again and let your voice be heard.
* Below, you will find links on how to contact your elected officials. You may also fill out a prewritten message -- just select your state, and the letter will be send by e-mail. You may also edit this mail, or write a letter of your own and send it "snail mail," fax, or e-mail.
* Stay informed! Watch the American Atheists FLASHLINE web site, or read AANEWS. Both of these services will have regular updates on the status of the Religious Liberty Protection Act and other measures be introduced on capitol hill, or in state legislatures.
* Learn about RLPA and its predecessor, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Browse our archive of articles, which includes talking points and other important information.
Links:
- American Atheists' RLPA Lobby. A jumping point for all our RLPA material.
- FLASHLINE article: Hatch Introduces RLPA - Version 2000 (26-Feb-2000)
- Contact Congress. Some resources on how to contact your elected representatives.
- Email your US Senators. Use our facilities to send an email to your US Senators.
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