Arkansas State Rep. Justin Harris, who “re-homed” his two adopted young girls, has received more than $4 million if public funds for his Christian preschool.
Justin Harris is the owner of Growing God’s Kingdom, a Christian preschool that has been the recipient of public taxpayer funds for years, despite separation of church and state. In 2012, when the Arkansas Dept. of Human Services (DHS) clarified the rules on use of taxpayer funds – noting no religious instruction could take place except after hours – Rep. Harris spoke out against it.
“This goes across the line of all religious freedoms, it’s not just Christian freedoms that is at stake here, it’s all religious freedom,” he told local news KNWA. “The only religious instruction that we have is ten minutes per day. It’s really not even instructions. I would call it just a Bible story or story time.”
A defiant Harris drew this line in the sand:
“The only thing that we’re going to concede to doing is teach the Bible story or read the Bible story after hours…We will keep our religious verses on the walls, we will continue to have what we call the Jesus rug on the wall, we’re not going to take anything down.”Â
Harris has authored, sponsored, and voted for bills that would benefit him and his Christian preschool.
The Arkansas Times – which in a series of reports over the past week has exposed Harris as a man who adopted a 3-year old and a 6-year old, months later “re-homed” them to another family, the husband of which raped the 6-year old – has been documenting Rep. Harris’ actions for years.
“Harris’ business operates on almost $900,000 a year and serves about 150 kids,” Max Brantley, the Times‘ editor wrote in 2011. “Of that, all but about 6 percent comes in the form of state and federal dollars in a program aimed at developmentally disabled and poor children. The money provides Harris and his wife almost $60,000 a year in salary and benefits. It also covers the mortgage on his privately owned building and rent payments to the Harrises.”
That same year, Americans United, an organization that advocates for separation of church and state, revealed that Harris’ Growing GodÂ’s Kingdom Preschool had “received over $1 million in state funds since 2005.”
Now Arkansas voters are learning that Harris’ extraordinary usage of public funds has escalated by biblical proportions.
KNWA, in a report published Thursday evening, reveals stunning violations.
“On Wednesday when we spoke with Cody Buchanan, who has a child at Growing God’s Kingdom, he said religion is definitely taught in the classroom,” KNWA reports. Buchanan told them, “It’s great for preschool, they teach them about the Bible and stuff like that too, which I think is really important.”Â
So much for “read the Bible story after hours.”
And the usage of taxpayer dollars hasn’t slowed one iota.
Arkansas Matters, in a report published today, finds that Rep. Harris “has received more than $4 million in public funds from DHS programs through his preschool since 2010.”
According to DHS, Harris has received more than $4,195,651 from public program funds for his Growing God’s Kingdom preschool since 2010.ÂThe department’s data show the following money has been distributed since 2010:Â$547,619 from the USDA for free or reduced lunches for young children$2.7 million from the Arkansas Better Chance state-funded pre-K$945,580 from the Child Care Development Fund that helps pay for childcare for qualifying families.
That $4 million from 2010 to now overlaps the $1 million from 2005 that was reported in 2011.
Growing God’s Kingdom apparently is a lucrative calling.
In God We Trust, indeed.
For excellent reporting on Justin Harris, including his exorcisms of his adopted daughters, and the article by Benjamin Hardy that broke the news last week, visit the superb Arkansas Times.
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Related stories:
Justin Harris Tried To Exorcise Demons From Toddlers At His Federally Funded Christian Preschool
Lawmaker Who Rehomed Girls To Rapist Files Bill Designed To Prevent Minors From Getting Abortions
Alarms And ‘Praise And Worship Songs Blaring’: Babysitter Describes Justin Harris Home (Video)
Lawmaker Who Rehomed Daughter Who Was Later Raped: I ‘Have Suffered A Severe Injustice’
Lawmaker Who Rehomed Daughter Who Was Later Raped Had Her Exorcised To Remove Demons: Report
GOP Lawmaker Will Face No Punishment For ‘Rehoming’ Adopted 6 Year Old Who Was Later Raped
Lawmaker And Christian School Owner ‘Rehomes’ Adopted 6 Year Old To Man Who Then Rapes Her
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Image by Alejandro Mallea via Flickr and a CC license