A bill proposed in the California legislature seeks to punish the local chapters of the Boy Scouts of America for prohibiting homosexual leaders and members from joining the organization, the Christian News Network reports. Senate Bill 323, introduced last week by Democratic Sen. Ricardo Lara, serves to revoke the tax-exempt status of any youth organization that excludes homosexuals. If passed, the bill would also keep the group from obtaining sales tax and corporate tax exemptions. Lara said he had planned to propose the bill earlier, but held off because it seemed the national headquarters of the Boy Scouts would make a decision first on whether to lift the organization's ban on homosexuals. However, when the Boy Scouts postponed the decision until May, Lara decided to step in on the state level. The gay-rights group Equality California had a part to play in pushing the bill onward; however, the Pacific Justice Institute, a Christian legal organization in Sacramento, has vowed to vigorously oppose it. "We have been warning for years that the gay lobby would eventually use tax exemptions to force non-profits to capitulate to their demands, but it's still shocking to see it actually in print and on its way to becoming law," said Brad Dacus, PJI president.
