The unified court said Wisconsin’s attempt to deny tax exemption violates First Amendment.
The Supreme Court unanimously reversed the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s ruling that determined the Catholic Charities Bureau, an arm of the Diocese of Superior in Wisconsin, did not qualify for the state’s employment tax exemption.
The Wisconsin government claimed that the Catholic Charities Bureau could not qualify for religious tax exemption because it was not “operated primarily for religious purposes.” But the Supreme Court said its decision was an unquestionable violation of First Amendment rights.
“It is fundamental to our constitutional order that the government maintain ‘neutrality between religion and religion,’” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in the ruling. “There may be hard calls to make in policing that rule, but this is not one. When the government distinguishes among religions based on theological differences in their provision of services, it imposes a denominational preference that must satisfy the highest level of judicial scrutiny.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the justices of the Supreme Court as they author decisions in the remaining cases for this term.
- For Chief Justice Roberts to receive God’s wisdom as he presides over the high court.
Sources: Independent Journal Review, PJ Media, CNN
