The Supreme Court agreed Friday to hear a significant 1st Amendment case that could reshape the balance between religious liberty and state taxation laws. At the center of the case is a dispute involving the Catholic Charities Bureau in Wisconsin, which argues that it should be exempt from state unemployment taxes under the 1st Amendment. The petition , one of the high court’s first religious liberties cases of the term, stems from Wisconsin’s refusal to grant an exemption to Catholic Charities, despite similar exemptions being available in 47 states and federally for religious organizations. FILE – The Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) University of Richmond law professor Kurt Lash posted to X that the focus for the justices will be determining “whether a church acts religiously when it provides charity to the needy.” Wisconsin argues that Catholic Charities does not engage in traditional religious activities such as proselytizing and, therefore, does not qualify for the exemption. Wisconsin’s Supreme Court upheld this view earlier this year. Represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Catholic Charities contends that Wisconsin’s denial diverts resources from critical social services, calling the state’s rule “absurd and […]

By : Markus McDowell