An update from your secular lobbyist in Washington

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Friend,

As summer winds down and congress continues to bicker over the next round of COVID-19 relief legislation, I want to take a moment to let you know what the Secular Coalition for America (SCA) has been doing recently in Washington, DC on your behalf.

While the legislative process on the Hill has seemingly come to a slow crawl the past few months, there has still been a lot happening in Washington that impacts the secular community.

Recent rulings by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) paint a bleak future for the separation between religion and government, and have seriously eroded the Establishment Clause of the Constitution.

In Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, SCOTUS narrowly ruled (5-4) to severely limit the “no-aid-for-religion” clause in Montana’s and 30 other states’ constitutions. This unprecedented decision and direct assault on the Establishment Clause opens the floodgates for taxpayer funding of private schools, the vast majority of which hold some type of religious affiliation. It comes at a time when our public schools are already suffering extreme shortfalls in funding, and are being forced to adapt to instruction during a pandemic without the necessary resources.

To further exacerbate the Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, SCOTUS decided to double-down with their decision on Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru, which expands any religious school’s ability to legally discriminate against teachers by considering them “ministers.” In other words, if you combine both decisions, it essentially means that taxpayers will now be footing the bill for legal discriminatory practices under the guise of “religious freedom”.

But the train doesn’t stop there! SCOTUS is on a roll and god...okay maybe not “god”, but “someone” help whoever gets in their way! The Supreme Court went all-in for the trifecta in their decision on Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania. In their ruling, the court upheld the Trump Administration’s regulations allowing employers with religious objections to unilaterally exempt themselves from Affordable Care Act requirements that mandate insurance cover contraception at no cost, without alerting the government of their intention to do so.

“As a result of this ruling, it will be harder for millions of Americans to access essential health care. Between 70,500 and 126,500 Americans will immediately lose access to no-cost contraceptive services,” Justice Ginsburg noted in her dissent.

While the direct and immediate effects are devastating, it is the rippling effect that raises even more concern, as the decision will certainly be used to further deteriorate opposition to religious discrimination and influence.

Here at SCA, we continue to raise our concerns to legislators, and other elected officials regarding these troubling decisions by the Supreme Court, and will continue to advocate for true religious freedom for all Americans, and a court that upholds our secular foundation.

Clearly, the wall of separation is as thin as it has ever been. However, we are thankful for advocates like yourself, who lend our voice strength. Please know that we are grateful for your support, and will continue to fight for secular values in Washington with a steely resolve. With your help, I know that we can make a real difference and ensure the secular government we are all guaranteed by our Constitution.

While the Secular Coalition fully understands the financial difficulty many Americans are facing these days, if you have the desire and capacity to give, you can do so by clicking the link or button below. Every dollar is used to further secular values and strengthen the wall of separation. ([link removed][UNIQID]&mc_cid=3860d4a06a&mc_eid=[UNIQID])

Please stay safe and healthy, and best regards,

Casey
Casey Brinck
Director of Policy & Government Affairs
Secular Coalition for America
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Contributions to the Secular Coalition for America are not tax-deductible; they support our effective, citizen-based advocacy and lobbying efforts. Tax-deductible donations, including from Donor Advised Funds and IRA Rollovers, can be made to the Secular Coalition for America Education Fund.



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