Courts across the country continue to hear cases at the intersection of public health restrictions and religious gatherings. Here are updates from Colorado, New York, California, and Washington, D.C.
The third day of the Supreme Court confirmation hearing of Judge Amy Coney Barrett yielded few religious liberty discussions, and none that made any significant advances over the first day of questioning. Watch two exchanges here.
The first round of questioning from many of the senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee included religious liberty topics.
In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, BJC urged senators to question Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s judicial philosophy when it comes to religious freedom because “her record as a judge in church-state matters is slim.”
In Tanzin v. Tanvir, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on whether the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) categorically bars successful plaintiffs from receiving a monetary award.
A statement on Obergefell issued by Justice Clarence Thomas and joined by Justice Samuel Alito accompanying the rejection is making headlines. As BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler explained in response: exaggerated, dire warnings only increase the tensions between religious liberty and other important civil rights.