WASHINGTON – Last year, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and 11 of his Senate colleagues submitted an amicus brief supporting a challenge to a Maine statute that discriminated against the First Amendment rights of parents choosing to send their children to religious schools. In Carson v. Makin, the Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision striking down Maine’s discriminatory tuition assistance program. Authored by Chief Justice Roberts, the Court ruled in favor of religious liberty and parents’ right to choose the best education for their children.

Senator Lee said of the brief, “Congress and the Supreme Court have long understood the value of both religious and secular education institutions. Students should not be punished for attending a school where faith is taught, and states should not be able to discriminate against citizens who choose to live and learn their faith in school.”

The brief reads in part, “Since its infancy under the Articles of Confederation, the United States of America has valued education and seen it as an integral part of a free society. To that end, Congress—entrusted with the will of the People—has worked for over two hundred years to increase educational opportunities for Americans.” and continues, “History shows that Congress repeatedly allocated funds to advance education without fear of triggering Establishment Clause concerns.”

Senator Lee was joined in the brief by Senators:

For full text of the brief, click HERE.
For full text of the SCOTUS decision, click HERE.

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