It’s June! Among other summer pastimes, this is the month for Supreme Court watching. The trend is clear: the more important and controversial a decision is—the more likely it is to be released in June. Court watchers have speculated on the reasons for this for years—and it’s probably a combination of factors beginning with the statutory time frame for the Court’s Term. But suffice it to say important decisions often take longer and tend to get released in June.

On Thursday, the Court released a significant, unanimous decision regarding religious freedom. In Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. et al. v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission et al., the Court ruled that the State of Wisconsin’s condition of an exemption from its unemployment tax system that allowed the state to categorize nonprofit organizations based on whether they are “operated primarily for religious purposes” was unconstitutional under the First Amendment. In other words, the government can’t treat religious charities differently based on how they implement their religious mission, which means all faith-based organizations should be treated the same way under tax laws.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote for the unanimous court. As she explained, “there may be hard calls to make” for the Court when delineating what the government must do to remain neutral between religions, “but this is not one.”

Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a concurring opinion, in which he detailed the history and scope of a legal doctrine known as the church-autonomy doctrine—an additional reason why the decision of the Wisconsin Supreme Court must be reversed. Finally, Justice Ketanji Jackson also wrote a concurring opinion to stress that the Federal Law concerning unemployment taxes also does not require distinguishing between “charitable organizations based on their engagement in proselytization or their service to religious adherents.”

This decision offers renewed clarity that the First Amendment forbids Federal, State, and Local Governments from discriminating between religious groups based on the way religious organizations choose to put their faith into action.

This is just the first week! Stay tuned. The Court is set to release opinions on the rights of parents to opt their children out from instruction on gender and sexuality in public schools, the authority of states to protect children from the harms of online pornography, and to restrict harmful “gender-transition” practices such as cross-hormone therapy.

Medical Professionals Can Now Practice According to Their Beliefs

More good news this week! The Trump administration has taken decisive action to protect the rights of conscience for medical professionals across the country by rescinding a harmful Biden-era mandate that attempted to transform emergency rooms into abortion facilities. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Tuesday that this overreaching policy has been overturned.

The Biden administration had twisted the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) – a law that explicitly protects both the “pregnant woman” and the “unborn child” – into a tool forcing doctors to perform abortions regardless of their deeply held religious beliefs.

This victory affirms the fundamental principle that Americans should never have to choose between their profession and their faith. As a result of this decision, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorneys filed a voluntary dismissal of their lawsuit, Catholic Medical Association v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which had challenged the mandate.

ADF Senior Counsel Matt Bowman noted, “Emergency room physicians can and do treat life-threatening conditions such as ectopic pregnancies, and every state allows doctors to do whatever is necessary to preserve the life of a mother. Now, doctors will be able to perform their life-giving duties without fear of government officials forcing them to end life and violate their beliefs.”

United States Senator from Mississippi Cindy Hyde-Smith praised the action, saying it brings “much-needed clarity to our incredible emergency room doctors across the country and peace of mind to the patients they serve.”

This decision restores EMTALA to its original purpose and ensures that medical professionals can continue their work without government coercion to violate their deepest convictions.

IN THE NEWS 

Parents nationwide are forming “counter-communities” to keep smartphones out of childhood. By uniting with like-minded families, they’re creating spaces where kids play outside, develop real relationships, and thrive without screens. Discover how these “Tech Exit” families are reclaiming childhood in an op-ed found in the Washington Post.

ICYMI 

• Read how experts and advocates blast Oregon’s radical assisted suicide bill that threatens vulnerable lives
• See how Governor Katie Hobbs once again flies Pride flag above American flag at state capitol
• Learn what U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego says about trans athletes: they should ‘find other activities’