'In God We Trust' Voted Out of County Chambers

Allegheny County Council did not approve the measure that would post “In God We Trust” in County Council chambers.

Eight members voted against the measure, and six voted for it. The measure needed eight votes to pass.

County Executive Rich Fitzgerald vowed to veto the vote if it passed, calling it a move by “right wing evangelical Christians,” according to CBS Local Pittsburgh.

The measure would have needed 10 votes to override Fitzgerald’s veto. 

“I am pleased that Allegheny County will continue to be a community that welcomes diverse populations with different viewpoints and ways of life,” Fitzgerald said in a release. “This vote makes it clear that all people, regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or belief system, are welcome here.”

Local religious leaders, representing Hindu, Islamic, and Buddhist faiths told the Pittsburgh Tribune that they did not think the motto would have been offensive.

However, the measure’s failure to pass was a relief to Rabbi Aaron Bisno, who said, “Religion, in our culture, is best kept private.”

Congress mandated “In God We Trust” to be written on all US coins in 1955, and it became the nation’s official motto in 1956.