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Dear John,
Tomorrow, Dec. 8th, the Institute for Justice and First Liberty as co-counsel will present oral argument before the U.S. Supreme Court in a potentially landmark case, Carson v. Makin. Oral argument will begin at 9:00 am CST and you can listen to the audio live-steam here.
Our legal teams are challenging a Maine law that discriminates against families, banning them from participating in a student-aid program if they choose to send their children to religious schools.
This is unconstitutional, as the Supreme Court has already ruled that states cannot bar families from generally available public benefits if they select faith-based schools for their children.
Not only does this violate the Constitution, but it’s also outrageous. It’s wrong for the government to discriminate against or treat children unfairly simply because they choose a religious education. Bottom line, families in America deserve the right to choose the education they believe will be best for their children.
That’s why the outcome of this case could be so consequential for you and millions of parents. This is a critical moment when religious liberty in our nation’s schools is under attack, to the point that some parents are being told they don’t have a say in their children’s education. This case is an opportunity we’ve been granted for such a time as this, to reaffirm that families know best and to stop government from discriminating against religious schools.
To preview the upcoming oral argument, the First Liberty Live! team will be streaming a special episode on December 8th at 8:45 am CST from the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. We encourage you to tune in and hear up-to-the-minute analysis from our legal experts just moments prior to going before the justices.
As our lawyers prepare for their argument, we’d like to remind you of several reasons why we’re hopeful and optimistic about a victory in this case:
- Positive case precedent: The Court ruled recently against religious discrimination in school choice programs in Espinoza v. Montana (2020). The Espinoza v. Montana case was a huge win for religious freedom and sets the stage well.
- Court composition: A majority of the current Supreme Court justices have shown a commitment to interpreting the Constitution according to its original text and intent.
- Religious liberty on a winning streak: In the last seven decades, the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of religion 58% of the time. That’s nearly 3 in 5 cases involving religion that had a pro-religious freedom outcome!
It’s a great time to be optimistic—and a great time to support First Liberty. This is a truly incredible opportunity at the Supreme Court to possibly set precedent protecting religious freedom for generations. Families, children and religious schools across the country will be greatly impacted by this case.
You can continue impacting the future of religious liberty right now through our December 2021 Calendar Year End campaign—which includes a $300,000 Challenge Grant that multiplies the impact of every dollar you give to First Liberty.
Please consider making a gift to First Liberty today. Together, we can keep delivering religious freedom for families across our country.
God bless,
Kelly
Kelly Shackelford
President, CEO & Chief Counsel
First Liberty Institute
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