LA Times:
The Canyon Ferry Road Baptist Church of East Helena isn’t obliged to make campaign finance disclosures, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday, because its support for the Montana Marriage Protection Amendment — use of some printer ink and a foyer table — was “extremely minimal.” The 2004 state ballot initiative passed by a 2-to-1 margin . . .
“This is a very important precedent, and I think it will have far-ranging consequences as it validates that churches play a fundamental role in shaping our democracy and speaking out on important social issues like marriage,” said Dale Schowengerdt, an attorney for the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal organization based in Scottsdale, Ariz . . .
