I am keeping the baseball theme alive in this week’s Five Minutes for Families because the U.S. Supreme Court batted 1.000 this term and pitched a perfect game today. Of the five cases directly affecting Center for Arizona Policy pillars of Life, Family, Parental Rights, and Educational and Religious Freedom, our nation’s highest court delivered a 5-0 record.

Today, the Court delivered its final two opinions, completing our perfect season. Both are significant victories for families and the protection of children.

In Mahmoud v. Taylor, the Court ruled 6-3 that parents have the constitutional right to opt their children out of curriculum that conflicts with their religious beliefs. The case involved Montgomery County, Maryland schools, which forced children to participate in LGBTQ-inclusive curricula in elementary classrooms without providing notification to parents or the opportunity to opt-out.

Families of differing religious backgrounds, including Muslim, Roman Catholic, and Ukrainian Orthodox, sued the school board, arguing it violated their First Amendment right to direct their children’s religious upbringing. Justice Alito wrote that the books “unmistakably convey a particular viewpoint about same-sex marriage and gender,” and the Court affirmed that parents, not school officials, have primary authority over their children’s education regarding content that conflicts with sincere religious beliefs.

The Court also decided Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton with another 6-3 ruling upholding Texas’s age verification requirements for websites hosting pornographic content. Justice Thomas, writing for the majority, noted that “Texas has a substantial interest in preventing minors’ access to pornography because of the well-documented pernicious effects of that material on young people.”

This case is a major victory for states’ ability to protect children from harmful sexual content online. It is the result of a large, nationwide effort of lawmakers, advocates, and survivors of the porn industry. I had the honor of being Counsel of Record for an amicus brief submitted by members of the Texas State Senate.

The law requires websites with at least one-third sexual content to verify users are 18 or older, with fines up to $10,000 daily for non-compliance. Already, sites like Pornhub have ceased operations in Texas. The decision affirms the constitutionality of Arizona’s own recently passed age-verification law (HB 2112), which was sponsored by Representative Nick Kupper and signed by Governor Hobbs.

Bring out the brooms.

Series sweep. (Okay, enough baseball.)

The decisions by the United States Supreme Court are significant and far-reaching. Here is a breakdown of the other victories this term:

• In Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission, the Court unanimously ruled 9-0 that Wisconsin cannot treat religious charities differently based on how they implement their religious mission. The government cannot determine which organizations are “religious enough” to qualify for tax exemptions—a significant win for religious freedom. Read our more in-depth analysis here.
• In United States v. Skrmetti, the Court ruled 6-3 to uphold Tennessee’s law restricting gender “transition” procedures to adults. The Court correctly determined that states can protect children from experimental medical interventions without violating the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause. You can find our more in-depth analysis here.
• In Medina v. Planned Parenthood, the Court ruled that individuals cannot sue states for removing abortion providers from Medicaid programs. This decision affirms states’ authority to direct healthcare funding according to their values and breathes new life into Arizona’s decade-long effort to defund Planned Parenthood. See our breaking news on this case here.

For a more detailed examination of these Supreme Court decisions, you can attend our webinar on July 1st at 7:00 p.m. PDT. You can register here.

For Arizona families, these victories provide critical protections for children, strengthen parental rights, and safeguard religious liberty. They create a legal framework that supports CAP’s ongoing work to advance legislation protecting life, families, and freedom in our state.

The Court has clearly signaled that government overreach into family matters has constitutional limits. The state cannot force parents to subject their children to curriculum that violates their faith. It cannot allow unrestricted access to pornography for minors. It cannot discriminate against religious organizations or force states to fund abortion providers.

As we continue our work in Arizona, these decisions give us renewed confidence that the Constitution still protects the values we hold dear.

That’s a home run for Arizona families. (Last one, I promise.)

Happy Anniversary CAP!

Today, June 27th, marks the actual 30th anniversary of Center for Arizona Policy! While we have been celebrating this milestone all year long, we invite you to join us in commemorating this special day by watching our anniversary video here.

ICYMI

• See how US Supreme Court ruling could impact Planned Parenthood operations in Arizona
• Discover how Planned Parenthood, after receiving $800M in taxpayer dollars, now offers trans services
• Learn why Republicans must say no to the AI regulation moratorium
• Learn how Utah’s ESA-type program is enabling greater access to educational opportunities
• Read Governor Hobbs’ statement on the budget