Liberty Counsel Files Brief Defending Bible Sales Tax Exemption
by Allie Martin
February 20, 2006
(AgapePress) - - Liberty Counsel, a Florida-based organization that defends the constitutional rights of Christians, has filed a brief with the State Supreme Court defending a law that provides a sales tax exemption for Bibles and other religious publications.
Recently, the Wiccan Religious Cooperative of Florida sued the State Department of Revenue claiming Florida law that grants sales tax exemption for Bibles and other religious publications violates the constitution's Establishment clause. Liberty Counsel President Mat Staver says the Wiccans paid sales tax on a Satanic "Bible" and, instead of asking for a refund, sued the state. However, Staver maintains that the Florida statute being contested is constitutional. "The case that the Wiccans have relied upon is really not good law anymore," he says. "The case that they are relying upon comes out of Texas, and in that case, the sales tax exemption was struck down because it only exempted religious publications and Bibles, but not secular publications."
According to the pro-family attorney, that ruling does not apply to Florida because the state has a broader exemption. Besides, he contends, it is to be expected that the new U.S. Supreme Court would not be sympathetic to the Wicca group's arguments anyway.
"In case the Wiccans haven't realized it, if they haven't been watching the news, the court has changed," Staver asserts. "We have a new day, and certainly this Supreme Court is not going to look with enthusiasm when it comes to taxing religion."
Earlier, the First District Court of Appeals ruled that the Wiccans had no legal standing for their lawsuit. Liberty Counsel is asking the Florida Supreme Court to throw out the group's challenge to the law exempting Bibles and religious publications from sales tax.
Allie Martin, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
