Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue | |
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Argued January 22, 2020 Decided June 30, 2020 | |
Full case name | Kendra Espinoza, et al. v. Montana Department of Revenue, et al. |
Docket no. | 18-1195 |
Citations | 591 U.S. ___ (more) 140 S. Ct. 2246; 207 L. Ed. 2d 679 |
Argument | Oral argument |
Case history | |
Prior | Espinoza v. Montana Dep't of Revenue, 2018 MT 306, 393 Mont. 446, 435 P.3d 603; cert. granted, 139 S. Ct. 2777 (2019). |
Holding | |
The application of the no-aid provision discriminated against religious schools and the families whose children attend or hope to attend them in violation of the Free Exercise Clause of the Federal Constitution. | |
Court membership | |
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Case opinions | |
Majority | Roberts, joined by Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh |
Concurrence | Thomas, joined by Gorsuch |
Concurrence | Alito |
Concurrence | Gorsuch |
Dissent | Ginsburg, joined by Kagan |
Dissent | Breyer, joined by Kagan (Part I) |
Dissent | Sotomayor |
Laws applied | |
U.S. Const. amend. I |
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, 591 U.S. ___ (2020), was a landmark[1][2][3][4] United States Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled that a state-based scholarship program that provides public funds to allow students to attend private schools cannot discriminate against religious schools under the Free Exercise Clause of the Constitution.[5]
In what advocates called a landmark ruling, Roberts said the religious protections of the U.S. Constitution prevail. It holds implications for public funding of religious institutions in other areas and continues a recent pattern of the Supreme Court erasing stark lines in the separation of church and state.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that by preventing these families from using tax credit scholarships at a private religious school, the state of Montana violated their First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion. Today's ruling invalidates Montana's "no-aid" clause and the Blaine Amendments of 37 states, including the Blaine Amendment in Washington state's constitution.
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Today's decision was a landmark win for school-choice advocates.