The Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled that an organization that sued Hands On Originals (“Hands On”), a t-shirt print company, for discrimination lacked standing as an “individual” to pursue the claim.
Tag: Supreme Court
Supreme Court may hear California pregnancy center free speech cases
The U.S. Supreme Court is currently considering whether to hear a cases brought by three California faith-based pregnancy counseling organizations that are challenging a California law that require every licensed pregnancy center in the state to inform its clients of publicly funded abortion and contraception services. The organizations claim that the law violates their freedom…
Why Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland deserves serious consideration
This morning President Obama threw a straight pitch directly into the strike zone when he nominated Judge Merrick Garland to the United States Supreme Court to fill the vacancy left by Justice Antonin Scalia. Garland, currently the chief judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, was confirmed to that court in 1997 with bipartisan Congressional support and has been well regarded by both Democrats and Republicans.
Unaffordable Luxury: A Brief Summary of Justice Scalia’s Free Exercise and Establishment Clause Legacy
In an effort to understand the longest-serving Justice’s influence and the importance of his replacement, here is a brief survey of how Scalia decided in several key cases.
Supreme Court to Decide Whether Taxpayers Must Pay for Church Playground Upgrade
The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether Missouri taxpayers can be compelled to pay for “non-sectarian” church upgrades. Case: Trinity Lutheran Church v. Pauley
Supreme Court Rules Sign Ordinance Adversely Affecting Church Fails Strict Scrutiny
fter a lengthy legal battle, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled unanimously (see Reed v. Gilbert , decided June 18, 2015) that a town cannot bar church signs when it allows similar signs promoting political or ideological viewpoints. In 2007, Good News Community Church sued Gilbert, Arizona, when the town enforced a law banning the…
Understanding RFRA: Is Religious Freedom the New Bigotry?
By Nicholas Miller – Is supporting religious freedom an act of bigotry? This question is seriously being asked in the wake of the recent media eruptions surrounding the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) bills passed in Indiana and Arkansas. The firestorm surrounding these bills has brought the tension between religious freedom and gay rights to a new level of public scrutiny and focus.
Opinion on the Hobby Lobby Decision: More Equal Than Others
By Jason Hines – Today the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that Hobby Lobby and other closely held corporations can refuse to cover certain forms of contraception in the insurance plans they provide to employees because of their “religious beliefs.” Now I put religious beliefs in quotes because despite the Court’s decision, I refuse to admit that corporations, created in order to separate themselves from the people who create them, can have religious beliefs.
U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Hear New Mexico Photographer Case
Today, without comment, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal of a New Mexico photography studio and its owners. The highly-publicized case of Elane Photography v. Willock involved a photographer who refused on religious grounds to photograph a lesbian couple’s commitment ceremony.
Hobby Lobby Case: How Will the Court Decide?
By Michael Peabody – On March 25, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores (transcript and audio). According to a number of court pundits, the court is expected to split with four justices on each side and the deciding vote is predicted to fall to Anthony Kennedy. Perfectly projecting the Court’s decision is not much easier than predicting a perfect NCAA March Madness bracket, but here are some potential outcomes for the case.