WASHINGTON (RNS) A prominent church-state watchdog group is questioning $40 million in state funds that it says could be improperly used by religious groups in Illinois.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) is concerned that an infrastructure improvement bill would funnel taxpayer funds to 97 religious organizations, including the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Salvation Army, for reconstruction of religious buildings.

In a letter sent Tuesday (Aug. 18) to officials at the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), AU said the bill “fails to place any restrictions on these organizations’ use of the funds.”

The Illinois Jobs Now! bill is an effort by the state to tackle unemployment primarily by boosting state-funded infrastructure projects, according to DCEO spokesperson Marcelyn Love.

AU’s biggest concern is that the bill contains no safeguards to make certain there will be no violations of church-state separation, said the Rev. Barry Lynn, the group’s executive director.

“In general, we think the Constitution is still very clear that you can’t use tax dollars for the building or reconstruction of religious buildings,” Lynn said in an interview.

AU’s letter requested a response within 30 days that would propose a plan to ensure that the grants do not advance religion. In a one-paragraph media release, DCEO officials said the department will handle each grant on a case-by-case basis.

Love explains that the DCEO does not begin working until they have received a go-ahead for each specific project.

“The department has internal processes and controls in place to ensure accountability and proper use of public funds for all of its grant programs,” according to the DCEO media release.

That response was not sufficient for Lynn, however, who called the release “too little, too late.”

Love could not comment on whether the DCEO will release a more formal response. For now, Lynn said AU will wait the full 30 days before pressing for a more detailed response.