Challenge To California Missions Funding Dropped

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty announced yesterday that plaintiffs have dropped their December 2004 lawsuit, captioned Doe v. Norton, seeking to stop the federal government from funding the preservation of California's 21 historic Spanish missions, 19 of which are still used for worship services. Americans United for Separation of Church and State said that since no money was in fact appropriated by Congress to fund the California Missions Preservation Act, it is withdrawing the suit without prejudice so that it could be filed again. A hearing had been scheduled for today. (See prior posting.)