About 30 years ago, Georgia passed a law saying that said books are subject to the state’s sales tax, but exempted “Holy Bibles, testaments and similar books commonly recognized as being Holy Scripture.” The law was ultimately expanded to include the Torah and Quran.
A few months ago, the owners of a bookstore that specializes in the sale of metaphysical, new-age, and spiritual books filed suit challenging the law, saying that there’s a double standard. If some religious books are tax-exempt, all religious books should be tax-exempt. Yesterday, a federal judge agreed. (thanks to L.M. for the tip)
A federal judge has struck down a decades-old state law that allowed sales tax-free Bible purchases.
The law, which was created in 1971, was struck down because it treated some religious and philosophical works more favorably than others, U.S. District Judge Richard Story ruled in Budlong v. Graham.
Story ruled on Feb. 6 that the “unique and preferential treatment the state provides to ‘religious’ literature raises serious constitutional concerns.”
He cited the 1984 U.S. Supreme Court ruling Regan v. Time, Inc. that said laws that permit the government to discriminate on “the basis of the content of the message cannot be tolerated.”
Now, I know this won’t make the Dobson/Robertson/Falwell crowd happy, but I’m trying to figure out what their spin is going to be. How does a state decide some religious materials are “good” and should be tax exempt, while others are “bad” and should be taxed?
Sadie Fields, state chair of the Christian Coalition of Georgia, denounced the decision, saying, “I don’t see any comparison between Scripture and some metaphysical nonsense.”
Leave it to the Christian Coalition to summarize the far-right legal perspective so perfectly — the state should favor religion, just so long as it’s my religion. I can’t imagine why a neutral federal judge would rule against this, can you?