Washington, DC – Following the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling in Carson v. Makin, in which the Court ruled that the state of Maine may be forced to subsidize private religious education, People For the American Way President Ben Jealous released the following statement:
“With today’s decision the Supreme Court takes another giant step toward obliterating one of the foundations of our democracy, the separation of church and state. The ruling that government funds must be used to pay for religious schooling if a resident demands it contorts the meaning of the Establishment Clause in order to serve an increasingly dangerous far-right agenda. Justice Sotomayor noted the breathtaking pace of the Court’s swing to the extreme right in her dissent, when she stated that not long ago, she feared the Court was turning separation of church and state into nothing more than a ‘slogan,’ whereas this ruling turns it into a ‘constitutional violation.’ Reversing this Court’s damage to our rights and democracy will take ongoing and persistent work from all those committed to the promise of our Constitution.”
About People For the American Way
People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. Learn more: https://www.pfaw.org