New Jersey Archdiocese Sues Challenging Restrictions On Its Cemeteries Selling Headstones

According to the New York Times, the Catholic Archdiocese of Newark filed a federal lawsuit yesterday challenging the constitutionality of a New Jersey law (see prior posting) that bars religious groups which operate cemeteries from also selling headstones or offering various other kinds of funeral services.  The law, which takes effect next year, was enacted earlier this year in response to pressure from the trade association representing small independent companies that produce monuments and private mausoleums. Yesterday's lawsuit was filed on the Archdiocese's behalf by the Institute for Justice, a libertarian public interest law firm that pursues cases defending economic liberty.