IL: Green Candidate for Gov Rich Whitney to Represent Rob Sherman in Suit

From the Quad City Times:

A lawsuit filed in federal court Wednesday seeks to block the state from using public funds to help religious organizations expand their facilities. Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney, an attorney from Carbondale, is representing one of the state’s most outspoken atheists, Rob Sherman, in the case, which seeks to stop $2.3 billion worth of funding for construction projects. The money is part of Illinois’ $31 billion capital construction plan that was approved by the General Assembly last year.
“It’s not the role of the taxpayers to support any one particular religious viewpoint,” Whitney said.

In the case, Sherman is challenging 176 grants, most of them going toward religious organizations to help build houses of worship, parochial schools and religious ministries. The case notes the Illinois Constitution prohibits the state from granting money to local churches for any purpose.