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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels June 24, 2004 State looks into getting faith-based grant The Associated Press EUGENE - Oregon is preparing to take advantage of President Bush's faith-based initiative. The state is seeking a $15 million grant that would let religious groups apply to help substance abusers. The three-year grant - through the $100 million Access to Recovery Program - would be the state Department of Human Services' first request for federal money under President Bush's initiative, which seeks to use faith-based organizations to provide social services. The Legislative Emergency Board will take up the request today and Friday. The grant is for substance-abuse treatment and recovery programs. It would include providers with religious affiliations, but it would not be limited to them. Access to Recovery gives vouchers to people to pay for treatment at facilities of their choosing. About 20 states have already established their own offices of faith-based programs. An expert who has followed the issue nationally told the Eugene Register-Guard that there's been a wide disparity in the level of involvement. "A lot of states are in a sense lagging behind. Sometimes it's because they just aren't paying attention because there's so much else on their plate," said Stephen Lazurus, senior policy associate at the Maryland-based Center for Public Justice, a Christian think tank. Lazurus acknowledged that the initiative has also sparked fears that the programs will force Christian views on people or be used to downsize government. Gov. Ted Kulongoski backs Oregon's effort. "I'm always worried about the church-state relationship," he said. "But I do believe there is a role for the churches in this debate." Dave Fidanque, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, said he had concerns that Oregon's government might run afoul of the state Constitution, which is stricter on the use of government money for religion than the U.S. Constitution. "It's that bright line that the Bush administration has tried to erase, so that religious institutions that do proselytize and discriminate by only providing services to people of their particular faith will qualify for these federal funds," he said. Fidanque, however, said he wasn't familiar enough with the Access to Recovery guidelines to know for sure whether it crossed the line. Bob Nikkel, administrator for the Oregon office of Mental Health and Addiction, said the state is pursuing the money for practical purposes. "It's really the major increase in funding this year that the feds have made available for alcohol and drug treatment," he said. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams