Arizona Gov. Brewer signs bill allowing churches political power

[Shallah Kali]

http://washingtonindependent.com/108227/arizona-gov-brewer-signs-bill-allowing-churches-political-power

n the week of the one-year anniversary of Arizona’s controversial anti-immigration bill — which has provoked copycats throughout the country — Republican Gov. Jan Brewer signed controversial legislation concerning the political clout of religious institutions, among other issues.

Senate Bill 1282 will create a statue explicitly allowing any religious assembly or institution to speak out on political issues without having to register as a political action campaign, provided the organization “does not spend a substantial amount of time or assets, within the meaning of section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, on influencing any federal state or local legislation, referendum, initiative or constitutional amendment. ”

The content of the bill is pretty sparse, opening up a broad interpretation for “substantial amount.”

snip

The Center for Arizona Policy, which helped craft the bill’s language along with Senate sponsor Steve Yarbrough, has posited this bill as free-speech legislation. In its fact sheet on the proposed law, the group lists the following talking points



she also signed bill to give married heterosexuals adoption preferences, limit abortions & more

[freshwest]

1. More theocrats in action.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

2. The legal term is "Void for vagueness".

Yes I am a lawyer.

"substantial amount" is vague.

[ixion]

3. Urgh... it's 'Statute' not 'statue'

but I guess I should get used to poor grammar now that the whacko fundies are running the show.

[madrchsod]

4. i like the part where the government isn`t allowed to investigate

if the churches are actually violating the tax code or the amendment

[no_hypocrisy]

5. It won't stand. Federal law (IRS regs) has supremacy over state law.

[nichomachus]

6. And in Spain

The Constitutional Tribunal just ruled in favor of a female religion teacher who was fired by the local catholic bishop because she married a divorced man. The court ruled that she had a right to her personal beliefs and actions and that being married to a divorced person, although against church law, didn't interfere with her ability to teach.

Damn, wouldn't it be nice to live in a secular country like that.

[Javaman]

7. While this is completely unconstitutional, they should now be taxed

if they want to go down this road.