The Wisconsin Assembly voted to make Wisconsin the first state to allow prison inmates access to Communion wine which, depending the point of view, is either the blood of Christ or contraband.
"If this bill passes and is signed into law, Wisconsin will allow prisoners who are alcoholics to consume alcohol in prison," said Rep. Joe Parisi, D- Madison. "This is not a First Amendment issue; this is a mental health issue."
But supporters of the measure, which passed the Republican-controlled Senate last month, said wine is a vital part of the sacrament for most Christians. Many ministers and priests say their faith precludes substituting grape juice for wine during prison Communions.
"This is a clear-cut attempt to limit religious freedom," said Rep. Fred Kessler, D- Milwaukee. Under his Lutheran religion, Kessler said, wine is transformed into the blood of Jesus during Communion.
"When you have that as part of the fundamental part of your religion and you are prohibited from using wine in the sacrament, you are impinging upon religious freedom," he said.
The bill, SB174, seeks an exemption to the state law that makes it a crime to provide inmates with liquor. It would allow inmates to consume up to 2 ounces of wine as part of a religious service.
Corrections officials say they worry the exemption would defeat efforts at curbing the alcohol abuse that contributed to putting so many people in prison in the first place. As many as seven in 10 inmates have some problem with drugs or alcohol, the state estimates.
Some lawmakers also wondered whether they weren't opening a Pandora's box.
"If a person who chose to worship Satan . . . said in their sacrament they should drink blood, would this same body turn around and be as open and accepting?" asked Rep. Jason Fields, D-Milwaukee.
The GOP-led chamber adopted the measure on a broad, bipartisan 76-15 vote. Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle has not said whether he would sign it.