PRESS RELEASE: Heartland Institute Experts Applaud School Choice Victory in Supreme Court

Published June 30, 2020

The U.S. Supreme Court today ruled Montana may not bar religious schools from participating in the state’s tax-credit scholarship program. The 5-4 decision in Espinoza v. Montana is a major win for school choice advocates. It is also a blow to so-called “Blaine Amendments” that have discriminated against parents who want to use popular and widespread education choice programs to send their children to religious schools. 

“A State need not subsidize private education,” wrote Chief Justice John Roberts for the majority. “But once a State decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious.”

The following statements from education policy experts at The Heartland Institute – a free-market think tank – may be used for attribution. For more comments, refer to the contact information below. To book a Heartland guest on your program, please contact Deputy Director of Communications Keely Drukala at [email protected] and 312/377-4000 or (cell) 312/282-1390.

 

“The U.S. Supreme Court provided a big win today for those who believe in equality under the law and who are opposed to government discrimination of religious schools. However, the biggest winners of all are the students and families of Montana who will now have increased access to the education of their choice.

“Justice Roberts is correct when he declares in his majority opinion that Montana’s Blaine Amendment was ‘born in bigotry’ and that those found in other states share a ‘shameful pedigree.’ The country will be much better off when the other 37 states unceremoniously drop their Blaine Amendments into history’s dustbin, where they rightfully belong.”

Tim Benson
Policy Analyst
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312/377-4000

Benson is the co-author of Heartland’s Policy Brief titled “Child Safety Accounts: Protecting Our Children through Parental Freedom” and focuses on education reform at The Heartland Institute.

 

“The Court’s decision essentially to invalidate Montana’s Blaine Amendment is the right choice. The majority opinion written by Justice Roberts relies strongly on precedent, as is his habit. The concurring opinions, however, make important points that we should hope the Court will consider in future cases.

“Specifically, Justice Thomas points out that the Court’s expansive interpretation of the Establishment Clause is responsible for much of its bad jurisprudence restricting the free exercise of religion. Thomas rightly calls for the Court to reject this interpretation because it is a ‘content-based restriction on the government’ that violates the Free Speech Clause and thus ‘has the effect of tilting society in favor of devaluing religion.’

“Justice Alito extensively documents the ugly history of religious prejudice behind Blaine Amendments and the Montana Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate the school choice program in question. Justice Gorsuch makes the important point that the Court’s untenable distinction between religious status and religious activity undermines the Free Exercise Clause and is unconstitutional.

“It is evident that Roberts’ excessive devotion to precedent will probably thwart further attempts by these Justices to reform the Court’s constitutional jurisprudence regarding government and religion—unless and until additional like-minded Justices are appointed to the Court.”

S.T. Karnick
Director of Publications
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312/377-4000

The Heartland Institute is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1984 and headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Its mission is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems. For more information, visit our website or call 312/377-4000.