NDR Media Coverage

This article appeared in Everything Alabama, The Gadsen Times, The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, The Tuscaloosa News, and the Florence Times Daily

Atheist Group Claims Legislators Denied Them Equal Treatment

An atheist organization claims two Alabama legislators denied the group equal treatment by not sponsoring a "rainy day" location inside the Capitol for a rally.

Atheist Law Center president Larry Darby said Rep. Jay Love and Sen. Larry Dixon, both Montgomery Republicans, turned down sponsorship for the old Archives chamber because the group does not believe in God. Sponsorship by a legislator or department head is needed for use of the space inside the Capitol.

Darby said the Montgomery-based group wanted to use the chamber for its "Rally for Reason and Picnic on the Capitol Lawn" in case of inclement weather May 6. The center's rally is on the same day as the National Day of Prayer, which state leaders and residents observe with a special service on the Capitol's front steps.

Darby told the Montgomery Advertiser the legislators' rejections were "low-down, mean and un-American."

Dixon said that if Darby's event had been on another day besides the National Day of Prayer, he would have arranged a site for the group to meet inside the Capitol.

Love said legislators reserve the right to deny sponsorship to any group.

"There's no way that I'm going to help further his cause," Love said. "He wanted to do this on the same day as the National Day of Prayer, and I would just consider it a spit in the face of faith-based groups for me to sponsor his group in the state Capitol."

Copyright 2004 The Associated Press

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