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Should the government deny tax breaks to churches that don't recognize gay marriage?

During last week's CNN Town Hall, presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke answered this question in the affirmative:

“Yes. There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution in America that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every single one of us. So as president, we’re going to make that a priority, and we’re going to stop those who are infringing on the human rights of our fellow Americans.”

If put into action, it’s a near-certainty that the constitutionality of O’Rourke’s plan would be challenged in the courts, including the highest one.

In Speiser v. Randall (1958), the Supreme Court issued a 7-1 ruling that prohibits the denial of tax exemptions to individuals or organizations based on the viewpoint they communicate. The case concerned the state of California’s denial of a veteran’s tax benefit because they refused to swear an oath not to illegally overthrow the government.

While the government can’t deny a tax benefit to an organization because of the viewpoint it advocates, it can deny tax benefits based on actions taken. In Bob Jones University v. U.S. (1982), SCOTUS ruled 8-1 that the IRS was allowed to deny the tax-exempt status of private, religious schools that implemented policies to prohibit interracial dating or marriage, or maintained a racially discriminatory admissions policy.

Do you support efforts to deny tax benefits to churches that don't recognize gay marriage?

On the Radar

Democratic Debate Tonight

Tonight, 12 candidates vying for the 2020 Democratic nomination take the stage at Otterbein University, outside of Columbus, Ohio, for the latest (D) debate.

The 10 usual suspects will be attendance, as will two hopefuls who didn't participate in the previous debate: Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and billionaire executive Tom Steyer.

Here's the complete line-up:

How do you feel about the lineup?

Sanctions on Turkey for Syria Incursion

President Trump announced Monday that he will soon issue an executive order to impose sanctions on Turkey for its “destabilizing actions in northeast Syria.”

The initial sanctions will include:

• Frozen financial assets, blocked property transfers, and denial of entry to the U.S. for current and former Turkish officials who have contributed to Turkey’s military actions in Syria or otherwise threatened regional peace, security, and stability. 
• 50% tariffs on steel from Turkey, which had been in place prior to May.
• A halt to negotiations between the Commerce Dept. and Turkey on a $100 billion U.S.-Turkey trade deal.

Trump also announced that a “small footprint” of American forces will remain in southern Syria to “disrupt remnants of ISIS."

Should the U.S. sanction Turkey for its invasion of northeastern Syria?

Under the Radar

Columbus Day or Election Day?

Election Day is now a paid holiday in Sandusky, Ohio—by swapping it with Columbus Day.

"A lot's happened in the last three years that had us thinking a lot about voter access and democracy, and so we thought it was a really natural switch," Sandusky City Manager Eric Wobser told NPR.

Wobser said that the change was only partially about addressing the challenges Columbus Day brings, but it was also about adopting a “think globally, but act locally” mentality to improve voter access on Election Day.

In May, Maine joined a growing list of states that are replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Do you support swapping Columbus Day for an Election Day holiday?

What You're Saying

Here's how you're answering Should the VA Make Its Websites Accessible for Individuals With Disabilities?