Supreme Court hands victory to Bush on faith-based initiatives

Supreme Court hands victory to Bush on faith-based initiatives

Michael Roston Published: Monday June 25, 2007

On a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that a group of taxpayers did not have standing to sue the US government for its funding of faith-based initiatives with federal money. The decision, Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation, was written by Samuel Alito, the second Supreme Court Justice appointed by President George W. Bush, according to the website SCOTUSBlog.

The group People for the American Way slammed the decision as threatening the First Amendment.

"It’s a bad day for the First Amendment. The Supreme Court just put a big dent in the wall of separation between church and state, and a big smile on Pat Robertson’s face," said Ralph Ness, the group's president, in a statement. "Today’s ruling will make it more difficult for citizens whose tax dollars are being unlawfully spent to subsidize religion to bring a complaint in court. It is also consistent with a broader strategy by right-wing judges and activists to restrict standing for average Americans to challenge powerful government and business interests."

But in Alito's decision, the Justice was dismissive of the worries of the plaintiffs in the case.

"None of the parade of horribles respondents claim could occur...has happened," the Court's newest Justice wrote. "In the unlikely event any do take place, Congress can quickly step in."

In a second 5-4 ruling, the Court ruled that schools could censor student expression outside of school grounds. The case was prompted by Juneau, Alaska, students who were punished after they held up a 'Bong Hits 4 Jesus' poster while attending a field trip to see the running of the Olympic Torch, according to CNN. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the decision.

In a third 5-4 ruling, the Court decided that a Wisconsin-based anti-abortion group should have been allowed to run so-called 'issue ads' in the two months leading up to the 2004 Election. The decision opens the way for interest groups, business, and union to make a greater effort to sway federal elections. Chief Justice Roberts wrote the opinion in the case.