This Supreme Court case could decide if government scholarships can be used for religious schools

Few people would argue that parents shouldn’t be able to decide how and where to educate their children. But the State of Montana did just that when it overturned a tax-credit that gave all Montana parents—like PLF clients Kathy and Jerry Armstrong—the choice to send their children to private religious schools.

The state Supreme Court invalidated the program, citing an archaic provision in the state constitution that blatantly discriminates against religion.

PLF filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of Kathy and Jerry in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, a similar case argued this week at the U.S. Supreme Court by the Institute for Justice. And as Daniel Ortner explains, the Supreme Court now has the opportunity to repudiate anti-religious bigotry once and for all and to allow parents the option of sending their children to the school that is best for them.

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The Supreme Court cases constitutional law experts are watching

There are many cases before the Supreme Court that will set important precedents in PLF’s battleground areas of freedom of speech, property rights, equality before the law, economic liberty, and separation of powers. The decisions to many of these cases have the potential to strengthen Americans’ individual rights, or deliver more power to government.
 
Here is a look at several cases PLF attorneys are closely following this term.

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“Seize this House” – New video parody showcases the problem of home equity theft in Michigan

If only this was a joke… But in Michigan and 12 other states, home equity theft is very real. Home equity theft is when counties foreclose on people’s homes for small amounts of back taxes, auction off the properties, and keep all the profits.

In Michigan’s Wayne County, where PLF’s new sketch video was filmed, the elected county treasurer’s family really did bid on properties at auction, and really did neglect to pay their own property taxes!

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