The state Court of Appeals has denied an appeal by Westboro Baptist Church regarding a pickup truck, which is used in their picketing activities. The court ruled today the truck is not tax-exempt for religious purposes.
The court wrote "although we accept WBC's contention that its picketing activities represent its sincerely held religious beliefs, we determine that its political activities and secular philosophy, which constitute a significant part of its picketing activities, preclude a tax exemption for its 2002 Ford F-150 truck."
The church, known for picketing funerals of soldiers and others nationwide, appealed a decision by the State Board of Tax Appeals denying its application for exemption from ad valorem taxes for its truck, which is used for carrying signs made by the church.
This is not the first time the church has argued for tax exempt status of its vehicles. Westboro had argued a 1995 truck was used solely for religious purposes two times in the past. Both cases did not come out in favor of the church.
