Supreme Court sides with Missouri church in major church-state decision over use of public funds

Source: Washington Post

Trinity Lutheran Church in Columbia, Mo., wanted to participate in a state program that reimbursed the cost of rubberizing the surface of playgrounds. But the state said that was not allowed. The exclusion raised big questions about how to uphold the Constitutions prohibition on government support for religion without discriminating against those who are religious.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.

UPDATE:

The Supreme Court concluded its work for this session on Monday siding with religious institutions in a major church-state decision. The court ruled 7-2 that religious institutions may not be excluded from state programs with a secular intent — in this case, making playgrounds safer.

Missouri’s state constitution, like those in about three dozen states, forbade government from spending any public money on “any church, sect, or denomination of religion.”

Trinity Lutheran Church in Columbia, Mo., wanted to participate in a state program that reimburses the cost of rubberizing the surface of playgrounds. But the state said that was not allowed. The exclusion has raised big questions about how to uphold the Constitution’s prohibition on government support for religion without discriminating against those who are religious.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/06/26/supreme-court-sides-with-missouri-church-in-major-church-state-decision-over-use-of-public-funds/