Supreme Court Hobbles Taxpayer Church-State Suits
The Supreme Court dealt a blow to church-state watchdogs this morning with its ruling in the Hein v. Freedom From Religion Case. In a 5-4 decision authored by Justice Alito, the Court ruled that the Freedom From Religion Foundation does not have the legal right to challenge the use of government funds by the White House Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives.
On the surface, the case was about the scope of a current exemption that gives any taxpayer the standing to bring First Amendment cases. But it is worth noting that Justices Thomas and Scalia, who concurred in Alito’s ruling, would have gone even further, and repealed the taxpayer exemption completely.
Why I became the Forward’s editor-in-chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
— Alyssa Katz, editor-in-chief
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