AU wins showdown over Calif. mission funding.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State has withdrawn its legal challenge to a federal law that proposed spending millions in tax dollars for restoration and repair of California's Catholic missions because no money was ever appropriated.

In fall 2004, Congress passed a $10-million authorization measure for repair and upkeep of 21 mission churches throughout California, even though 19 of them are still used by the Catholic Church for worship and have active congregations.

Americans United filed a lawsuit challenging the law to stop the public financing of religious institutions. Since Congress has never allocated the money to the churches, Americans United dropped the lawsuit.

"With no public money headed for the collection plate, we have agreed to drop the suit for now," said Ayesha Khan, Americans United legal director. "We will continue to monitor the situation and, if Congress decides to fund the missions, we will go to court again."

On Jan. 17, the lawsuit, Doe v. Norton, was withdrawn "without prejudice," which means the suit could be re-filed with the same plaintiffs should the federal government appropriate the tax money for the missions.