Settlement Bars Louisiana From Making Unrestricted Grants To Churches

AP reported yesterday that the state of Louisiana has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought against it by the ACLU challenging appropriations in the 2007 state budget bill for two churches, with no restrictions on the churches' use of the funds. (Similar appropriations to six other churches had also been approved.) In August 2007, a federal district court issued a preliminary injunction barring the state from disbursing the appropriated funds. (See prior posting.) Under the agreed-upon settlement, the state will no longer grant unrestricted funds to churches.