In
the letter, Liberty Institute attorneys explain that TXDOT's ban
violates Mrs. Golden's right to freedom of religious expression, and
specifically the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act (TRFRA),
federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA),
the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, and Article I,
Section 6 of the Texas Constitution. The letter gives TXDOT 60 days to
respond, and it requests that TXDOT immediately rescind its ban and
removal order, and allow Mrs. Golden to keep the religious sign on her
private property. Follow this link to view a copy of the demand letter
online: http://www.libertyinstitute.org/document.doc?id=166
"It is outrageous that TXDOT is preventing Texans from having signs on their own private property," said Mike Berry,
Liberty Institute Senior Counsel. "Religious freedom and private
property rights are some of the most sacred rights Texans and Americans
enjoy, dating back to the founding of Texas and our nation. It is also shocking that a TXDOT attorney would belittle the religious beliefs of Texans."
In August 2013,
Mrs. Golden, acquired a 6 x 12-foot sign, depicting the Bible's Ten
Commandments from the organization God's Ten. She placed the sign on
her private property, located near Hemphill, Texas, in Sabine County.
Liberty
Institute is a national nonprofit legal group dedicated to defending
and restoring religious liberty across America — in our schools, for our
churches, inside our military and throughout the public arena.
Liberty's vision is to reestablish religious liberty in accordance with
the principles of our Founding Fathers. For information, visit www.LibertyInstitute.org.
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