The Texas Department of Transportation is telling a Hemphill, Texas woman that she cannot have a sign displaying the Ten Commandments on her land.
TXDOT contacted Jeannette Golden and said that her sign showing the Ten Commandments with a web address on it where people could learn about Jesus could be classified as commercial advertising and was a violation of law. Golden then painted over the website address, leaving only God’s word and the phrase “With God all things are possible.”
TXDOT contacted the woman again, demanding the sign be removed because it was still “outdoor advertising” and she had not paid for a permit. When she tried to apply for a permit, TXDOT told her there was no permit possible and to remove the sign or face fines as high as $1,000 a day.
TXDOT wants to claim the sign is a violation of the Highway Beautification Act.
“I wasn’t advertising because that’s my freedom of religion and that’s what I believe,” Golden said. “It was just something that I stood for.”
The Liberty Institute has agreed to represent Golden against the state. Attorney Michael Berry said the state’s actions are in violation of the Federal Religious Land Use Act along with the U.S. and Texas Constitution.
