The Freedom From Religion Foundation placed its Winter Solstice sign in the Wisconsin Capitol rotunda, Madison, for the entire month of December for the fifth year in a row. In 1995, Gov. Tommy Thompson removed a Foundation banner saying “State/Church: Keep Them Separate,” although the Foundation had a legal permit, and ruled that messages must be restricted to 30 x 40″ signs. The Foundation first placed its gilt sign in 1996. Capitol tour guides have told reporters the sign is a “tourist attraction.” The Foundation placed its message in response to public complaints about the Christian nature of songs at the annual tree-lighting ceremony, the presence of a lighted menorah during Hanukkah, and an annual nativity pageant taking place in the Capitol.
March 19, 2013
