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Lawsuit Claims "Local Option" Use Violates Civil Rights Act

By Howard M. Friedman

An organization calling itself the Ethereal Enigmatic Euphoric Movement Toward Civilized Hedonism filed a lawsuit in federal court in Idaho last week challenging Idaho's local option statute (Idaho Stat. Sec. 23-917) that allows residents of a city to vote to ban the sale of liquor by the drink.  The complaint (full text) alleges that Preston, Idaho, whose residents are mostly Mormon, have used the local option statute to force their religious objections to liquor on others.  The complaint also alleges that this deprives members of the EEEMTCH of freedom to practice their belief that consumption of liquor is a "moral obligation and sacred right."  The complaint alleges that the ban on sale of liquor by the drink in Preston violates the public accommodations provisions of the 1964 Civil Rights Act as well as similar provisions of Idaho law (Sec. 67-5909).  Invoking the legacy of the civil rights movement, the complaint alleges: "Like being told we have to drink at separate water fountains, if we want a mixed drink in a bar, we are forced to drive to any of the surrounding cities in the state." Courthouse News Service reports on the filing of the lawsuit.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on March 16, 2011 (boomark / email).