CNN huffs that the Supreme Court is "bolster[ing] religious rights and decide cases on the side of religious liberties" with their ruling on Maine's discrimination against religious schools.CNN huffs that the Supreme Court is "bolster[ing] religious rights and decide cases on the side of religious liberties" with their ruling on Maine's discrimination against religious schools.
CNN sounded the alarm over the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of religious schools in the case of Carson v. Makin on Tuesday, fretting that the Court was now "elevating" religious liberty over "free speech."
The high court ruled in a 6-3 majority Tuesday that the state of Maine could not exclude private schools with religious teaching from receiving funds from their tuition assistance program. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that the state had violated the Free Exercise Clause in the First Amendment.
Legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin warned this ruling showcased a "major trend" from the Court in favor of religious schools and against the Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from establishing a religion.
"That idea is breaking down under the conservative majority. There are more and more opportunities, whether it is funding textbooks, whether it is funding playgrounds, now scholarships, where it is permissible for the government to give money to religious institutions. It is a conflict between the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause. And under this conservative majority, the Free Exercise Clause is winning case after case," he cautioned.
Co-host Jim Sciutto also suggested this ruling could lead to less funding available for public schools, before asking legal analyst Jennifer Rodgers, to explain the Court's decision.
