Gov. Eric Greitens had a relatively uneventful week until yesterday when he made an executive decision to allow religious organizations to receive grants from the Department of Natural Resources.
A court case from Missouri will be argued before the Supreme Court next week dealing with this precise issue. In 2012, a church from Columbia applied for a grant from DNR to install “mulch” on a playground made of tires. Because a church applied, however, they were denied when the department cited the Blaine Amendment, which prevents state funds from going to support private churches.
Greitens called the policies of his predecessor an attack on “religious liberty.”
“We have hundreds of outstanding religious organizations all over the state of Missouri who are doing great work on behalf of kids and families every single day,” he said in a statement. “We should be encouraging that work. So, today we are changing that prejudiced policy.”
The plan has already received praise from conservatives, including Attorney General Josh Hawley, and condemnation from civil liberties advocates, like Jeffrey Mittman, the executive director at the ACLU of Missouri.
“Gov. Greitens’ political decision to blur the lines between church and state is dangerous and directly goes against what our nation’s founders intended: to protect religious freedom by keeping it separate from government,” “This new policy compromises constitutional principles and puts religious freedom for all at risk.”
I applaud @EricGreitens for halting MO bureaucrats from discriminating against churches. Long overdue. https://t.co/8H3LvjcMOO
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) April 14, 2017
Greitens also created a new task force aimed at evaluating which boards and commissions the state could do without. The 12-member board will look at the purpose for each board as well as ensuring that board is cost-effective for the state.
Lt. Gov Mike Parson will serve as a co-chair with the as-of-yet unnamed Director of Boards and Commissions who Greitens will appoints. Four other members of the board will be appointees from the governor, and House Speaker Todd Richardson and Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard will each select three board members from their respective bodies.
They will have until Oct. 31, 2017 to make their recommendations to the governor.
