Attorney General joins 26-state coalition supporting religious liberty

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– SC Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined 26 states to file a brief opposing the Hillsborough County Transit Authority’s no-religious-speech advertising policy before the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, July 5.

The coalition urged the court to review the policy because the coalition believes it infringed on the First Amendment rights of a Jewish synagogue, Young Israel of Tampa, to advertise on public transportation in Tampa, Florida.

“I believe this policy is clearly unconstitutional and violates the First Amendment. And a public body, having a policy against religious advertising is also discriminatory,” states Attorney General Wilson.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) rejected Young Israel of Tampa’s proposed advertisement for its “Chanukah on Ice” event because it was religious but accepted another group’s advertisement for its “Winter Village” event.

Besides South Carolina, the Alabama-led coalition includes the states of Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

You can read the states’ brief here.