Thousands Rally in CT for Religious Freedom
More than 4,000 Catholics from around the state stood in the drizzle on the north lawn of the state Capitol this morning to protest a bill that would have changed the way the church governs itself. The bill, initially scheduled for a public hearing today before the legislature's judiciary committee, was pulled amid questions over its constitutionality. But an informal hearing on the bill was called by Republican legislative leaders."The co-chairs decided for whatever reason to cancel everything ... but there are an awful lot of folks who feel very passionately about this issue," Sen. John Kissel of Enfield, the ranking Republican on the judiciary committee, said. "We don't have the authority to call a formal hearing. But we felt it would be good for those folks who wanted to come down here to express their views."At that hearing, John Garvey, dean of Boston College's law school, said that the bill as drafted is, indeed, unconstitutional." It violate...