1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

Taxpayer money should never be used to fund discrimination, and no religious exemption should override a New Yorker’s civil rights. It is time to enforce the separation of church and state – not in theory, but in practice. We call on you to take the following actions to ensure that public resources and laws serve everyone equally: 1. End religious exemptions that harm access to health care – Eliminate the “religious refusal” loophole that allows employers to deny contraceptive or abortion coverage. No employer’s doctrine should trump a patient’s right to care. 2. Stop public funding for religious schools and social services – Enforce the state constitution’s Blaine Amendment. No more taxpayer dollars for parochial schools, church‑run foster care, or faith‑based refugee programs that impose religious dogma as a condition of help. 3. Reject “Religious Freedom” bills that enable discrimination – Oppose any legislation (like S00103) that would grant a broad license to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people, interfaith families, or anyone seeking reproductive health care. 4. End security grants for religious institutions – Stop using the “Securing Communities Against Hate” program to funnel millions of public dollars to private religious properties. Effective community safety is mutual aid – not state funding for sectarian buildings. 5. No religious exemptions to public health mandates – Uphold science‑based vaccine and health requirements for all. Your personal beliefs do not give you a right to endanger others. We demand a truly secular, neutral state – one that neither funds nor favors any religion.