Green Bay Now Will Permit Combined Religious-Secular Holiday Displays

Green Bay, Wisconsin City Council seems to be having a change of heart over holiday displays at city hall. Yesterday's Appleton (WI) Post-Crescent reports that the proposed policy that would have allowed only secular displays on government property has now been changed. By a vote of 8-4, Council added language stating that the U.S. Supreme Court has approved combined religious and nonreligious displays, and that city officials, at their discretion, may permit these as well as purely secular ones. Before final passage, Green Bay's city attorney will study the new language. According to WBAY News, Freedom from Religion Foundation, unhappy with the new language, will move ahead with an appeal they filed this week in a case challenging last year's nativity scene display at city hall. (See prior posting.) A federal district court had dismissed their challenge after the city enacted a moratorium on future displays.