April 2, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\nIn his opinion, which was filed on Thursday, Uthmeier cites the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, which protects citizens\u2019 rights to \u201clive out their faiths in daily life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Uthmeier also cites the Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from favoring one religion over another.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has also been used to justify the Blaine Amendments in many states, including Florida, that purport to impose blanket prohibitions on the receipt of government funds by religious schools,\u201d the opinion reads.<\/p>\n
[BELOW: Florida attorney general reveals Sanford \u2018House of Horrors\u2019]<\/p>\n
As such, the attorney general argues that the state shouldn\u2019t be able to disqualify certain private firms from funding solely because they\u2019re religious.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny attempt to discriminate against otherwise qualifying religious entities is \u2018odious to our Constitution and could not stand,\u2019\u201d he writes. \u201cThe U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly invalidated the exclusion of state benefits from religious entities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Therefore, Uthmeier says the following laws discriminate on the basis of religion and are thus \u201cunconstitutional.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not the first time that Uthmeier declared he wouldn\u2019t enforce state laws, though.<\/p>\n
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, he also put out a list of 80 laws that discriminate on the basis of factors like race, saying that he wouldn\u2019t uphold these rules, either.<\/p>\n
[BELOW: Florida AG James Uthmeier holds Orlando news conference on protecting women\u2019s sports]<\/p>\n
[Read the full list of race-based laws below]<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, you can read Uthmeier\u2019s latest opinion in full below:<\/p>\n
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