Court rejects Wiccans’ tax challenge

TALLAHASSEE — A Wiccan group’s challenge to a state sales tax exemption for Bibles and other religious items faltered Thursday when the Florida Supreme Court decided it lacked authority to consider the issue after all.

The high court earlier agreed to take the case and even heard oral arguments. But it ruled in a brief 6-1 opinion that it found no conflict in appellate court rulings on the underlying issue of whether the Wiccans have the right, or “standing,” to challenge the law.

The Wiccan Religious Cooperative of Florida had appealed a decision by the 1st District Court of Appeal that it lacked standing.

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The Supreme Court’s decision sidestepped the constitutional issue raised by the Wiccan appeal. Morcroft had argued the tax exemption aids religious organizations in violation of the First Amendment’s establishment clause that prohibits state-sponsored religion.
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We will see this kind of thing until all tax exemptions are removed from religious organizations. When asked my opinion on the subject i always quote Bill Maher.."If you want your church to be tax exempt, you can't call the fire department when someone sets it on fire."

eom