Americans United For The Separation Of Church And State

The House wing of the U.S. Capitol. Photo: Jim Armstrong, Flickr

School vouchers for D.C. parents passes U.S. House

By Andy Birkey | 03.31.11 | 9:51 am

A bill to continue a defunct school voucher program in Washington, D.C., passed the U.S. House on Wednesday afternoon by a largely party-line vote. Reps. Michele Bachmann, Chip Cravaack, John Kline and Erik Paulsen voted for the measure while Reps. Keith Ellison, Betty McCollum, Collin Peterson and Tim Walz voted against the bill. The controversial program has been criticized as ineffective and essentially a tool to funnel taxpayer money to religious schools. President Obama stated on Tuesday that he opposes the measure.

Watchdog group sends letter to Senate leaders over Campbell prayer

By Andy Birkey | 03.21.11 | 4:19 pm

The watchdog group Americans United for the Separation of Church and State sent a letter to Minnesota Senate leadership Monday warning the chamber that Pastor Dennis Campbell’s prayer last week was unconstitutional. Addressed to Senate President Michelle Fischbach, Majority Leader Amy Koch and Minority Leader Tom Bakk, the letter also urged the leaders to either refrain from allowing prayers in the Senate or to ensure that if it continues to do so it does in a way that respects other traditions.

Was Pastor Campbell’s prayer on the Senate floor legal?

By Andy Birkey | 03.16.11 | 2:31 pm

Controversial Pastor Dennis Campbell gave a Jesus-filled prayer on the Minnesota Senate floor on Monday on the invitation of Senate Republicans. That speech led to calls by several of the chamber’s non-Christians to ensure that prayers in the Senate are conducted in a nondenominational manner for fears of violating the state and federal constitutions. Watchdog groups say those are very real concerns.

Kline cosponsors D.C. religious school voucher bill

By Andy Birkey | 02.02.11 | 12:48 pm

Rep. John Kline, chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, is one of five sponsors of a bill that would continue a controversial religious school voucher program in Washington, DC. The program, which was launched for a five-year trial in 2003, was found to have failed to improve student achievement in the district, but did have a benefit for social conservatives — it helped fund religious education in the nation’s capitol city.

Bachmann, Kline: Obama’s not saying ‘God’ enough

By Andy Birkey | 12.07.10 | 9:45 am

Republican Reps. Michele Bachmann and John Kline, as part of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, chastised President Obama for not portraying America as a more Christian-like nation to the rest of the world. In a letter on Monday, the caucus complained that Obama omitted the word “God” five times during his recent trip to Indonesia and called on him to correct the record.

Americans United investigating Bachmann and Associates funding

By Andy Birkey | 07.07.10 | 4:11 pm

The watchdog group Americans United for Separation of Church and State says it’s opening an investigation into taxpayer funds going to Bachmann and Associates, Inc., a Christian mental health counseling clinic owned by Rep. Michele Bachmann and her husband, Marcus.…

State funding for Minnesota Teen Challenge questioned

By Andy Birkey | 01.08.10 | 2:52 pm

Minnesota Teen Challenge describes itself as a “para-church” ministry that completes the “spiritual restoration” of Minnesotans dealing with drug addiction, yet over the last seven years it’s received more than $10 million in government funds — and twice the Minnesota Legislature has singled the program out for a raise. The arrangement raises questions about the constitutional separation of church and state, and some experts say the state has overstepped its bounds in contracting with Teen Challenge.

Members of punk ministry You Can Run claiming tax break for clergy housing

By Andy Birkey | 12.09.09 | 3:00 pm

For a Christian ministry to have ordained leaders is not surprising, but You Can Run But You Cannot Hide has six — and some of them are employed in a punk band that brings its Christian message to public schools. The members’ status raises questions about their activities in public schools as well as whether they are qualified to take advantage of tax breaks normally afforded to pastors and priests, including $54,532 in allowances for clergy housing.

‘You Can Run’ may be running afoul of the Constitution

By Andy Birkey | 10.08.09 | 2:49 pm

Civil liberties groups say that You Can Run But You Cannot Hide International — a ministry/punk band that brings its Christian message to public school kids — is causing schools to run afoul of the constitutional principle of separation of state and church. Rep. Michele Bachmann, who says such a separation is a “myth,” will be headlining a fundraiser for the group in November.

Evangelical treatment program gets $2.4 million from state

By Andy Birkey | 09.22.09 | 11:32 am

A former crack user says she kicked her addiction because she found Jesus at Minnesota Teen Challenge. A man says that God healed his liver after a prayer service at the Christian drug treatment facility. While its clients sing its praises — some claiming it saved their lives — should such an overtly religious program be receiving taxpayer funding? According to state records, MNTC has gotten more than $2 million from the state of Minnesota since 2007.