Ernie Chambers, Nebraska’s openly-atheist state senator, has introduced a bill that will compel churches to pay property tax. His bill LB675 eliminates a state property tax exemption for religious institutions, which will require churches to pay tax. While petitioning the bill, all Chambers did was to cross out the word “religious” from the existing list of groups that are exempt from paying property taxes.
According to his statement of legislation, “the purpose of LB675 is to help the state gain more revenue, rather than less, by taking away churches’ property tax exemptions. If taxes were paid on the many churches and cathedrals and temples in every city in this State, perhaps the State’s assistance to local governments and schools would be diminished considerably — leaving more in State coffers for other purposes.”
This is not Chambers’ first public fight against religion. In 2007, he sued god, just to make a point, in 2012, he said the mafia has higher standards than the catholic church hierarchy and in March 2013, he took down a Christian psychologist and an “ex-gay man” for opposing pro-LGBT rights legislation. The African-American politician has served for 38 years since 1970, making him the longest-serving senator in the history of the state, until he was term limited out in 2008. When he was eligible to run again in 2012, he did so and won effortlessly.
