250 members of the clergy in Louisiana have signed a letter to Governor Jindal urging him to abandon his proposal to raise the state sales tax to nearly 6 cents on the dollar.

The governor formally proposed the idea last week to replace some of the revenue that would be lost through his proposed abolition of the state income tax.

Clergy members, including the Rev. Fred Luter of New Orleans, President of the Southern Baptist Convention, term the proposal "regressive" and "unjust.

In the letter, which was being hand-delivered to the Governor's Office, they wrote that "any proposed law that would increase the tax burden on low and moderate income families in order to decrease it for wealthy families must be judged an unjust law."

Other signatories are Rabbi Edward Cohn of Temple Sinai in New Orleans, the Right Reverend Morris Thompson, Jr., Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, and Bishop Cynthia Harvey of the United Methodist Church.

The religious leaders have posted their letter online at lafaithcommmunity.com where it can be read and signed by other members of the faith community.