Public Schools

Americans United Urges Supreme Court To Protect Taxpayers From Being Forced To Pay For Private Religious Education

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Americans United for Separation of Church and State President and CEO Rachel Laser issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s announcement today that it will hear Carson v. Makin next term – a case that could significantly impact religious freedom and church-state separation:

“One of America’s most basic principles is that we can all freely choose our religion, or no religion at all. The separation of church and state is what protects this freedom for all of us. One of the core reasons our country’s founders insisted on church-state separation was to ensure taxpayers are not forced to pay for the private religious education of others. The Supreme Court chipped away at this protection last year when it required states to include religious schools in private school voucher programs. If this court is to maintain any semblance of adhering to the Constitution and the intent of its framers, it should not cross this final line of requiring taxpayers to pay for religious instruction.”

Americans United has filed two amicus briefs in Carson v. Makin.

Americans United is a religious freedom advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, AU educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom. Learn more at www.au.org.

Americans United is a religious freedom advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, AU educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.

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