New Hampshire Court Strikes Down Tax-Credit Aid To Religious Schools

Court Agrees With Civil Liberties Organizations That ‘Neo-Voucher’ Program Violates New Hampshire Constitution

Jun 17, 2013

Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union welcomed a state court decision today that said a tuition tax-credit program violates the New Hampshire Constitution.

Ruling in favor of the three civil liberties groups, the Strafford County, N.H., Superior Court held that the state’s Education Tax Credit Program is unconstitutional because it diverts tax payments to religious schools. Read more

Americans United, Allies Urge Federal Court To Ensure Employees’ Access To Birth Control Coverage

Civil Liberties And Religious Groups Say Exemption From Obama Contraceptive Mandate Would Undermine Civil Rights Laws, Hurt Women

Jun 17, 2013

Americans United for Separation of Church and State and its allies have told a federal appellate court that for-profit businesses cannot use religious liberty arguments to deny their employees access to contraceptive coverage. Read more

Americans United Warns Ohio School Board To Keep Creationism Out Of Science Classes

Church-State Watchdog Group Says Springboro School Officials Risk Million-Dollar Mistake If They Bring Religion Into Coursework

Jun 13, 2013

Attorneys with Americans United for Separation of Church and State today sent a letter warning members of the Springboro, Ohio, Board of Education not to attempt to introduce creationism into the curriculum. Read more

Celebrities Jane Lynch And Jordan Peele Lift Their Voices To Support Separation Of Church And State

Amusing New Music Video Highlights Breakup Between ‘Church’ And ‘State’

May 30, 2013

Popular performers Jane Lynch and Jordan Peele are lending their support to the campaign to keep church and state separate.

Lynch and Peele have just finished a new music video for Americans United for Separation of Church and State. In the video, Lynch portrays “Church” and Peele portrays “State” as the duo, decked out in cheesy 1970s garb, perform a special song concluding they’re not right for one another and it would be best if they separated for good. Read more

Supreme Court Should Rule Against Sectarian Prayers Before Town Board Meetings, Says Americans United

Church-State Watchdog Group Urges High Court To Use Greece, N.Y., Case To Affirm Government Neutrality Toward Religion

May 20, 2013

The U.S. Supreme Court today announced that it will hear a lawsuit challenging Christian invocations before town board meetings in Greece, N.Y.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the organization that is sponsoring the lawsuit, urged the high court to affirm government neutrality on religion. Read more

School Prayer Bill Is Unnecessary, Americans United Tells Louisiana Legislators

Church-State Watchdog Group Warns Lawmakers That Provision Is Constitutionally Problematic

May 7, 2013

A bill introduced in the Louisiana House of Representatives that purports to protect public school students’ right to pray instead endangers rights and will likely spark legal challenges, says Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Read more

Civil Liberties Groups Ask Colorado Supreme Court To Hear Appeal Of School Voucher Case

Douglas County Program Illegally Diverts Taxpayer Money To Religious Schools, Lawsuit Says

Apr 11, 2013

Three civil liberties organizations today asked the Colorado Supreme Court to strike down a Douglas County voucher program that provides public education funds to private religious schools.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a petition today with Colorado’s high court, asking it to accept the case and overturn a Colorado Court of Appeals ruling that upheld the program.
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Protect Americans’ Access To Birth Control, Americans United Tells HHS

Church-State Watchdog Group Says No More Exemptions Are Needed To Health-Care Regulations

Apr 9, 2013

The federal government should protect Americans’ access to contraceptive coverage, Americans United for Separation of Church and State has told the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

In comments submitted to HHS, Americans United urged the department to reject demands from conservative religious interest groups that seek to curb access to contraceptives under the guise of religious liberty. Read more

Americans United Urges Federal Appeals Courts To Uphold Contraceptive Access

Church-State Watchdog Files Four Friend-Of-The-Court Briefs Defending Workers’ Access To Birth-Control Coverage

Mar 28, 2013

Americans United for Separation of Church and State has told federal courts now considering the constitutionality of the Obama administration’s birth-control mandate that employers do not have a religious liberty right to deny their employees access to contraceptives. Read more

Marriage Equality Is A Matter Of Simple Justice, Says Americans United

U.S. Is Not A Theocracy Where Sectarian Groups Dominate The Law, AU’s Lynn Tells Rally At Supreme Court

Mar 27, 2013

The U.S. Supreme Court today is hearing oral arguments in a case about the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a federal law that bars federal government recognition of the marriages of same-sex couples. Yesterday, the justices heard arguments in a case dealing with Proposition 8, a California constitutional amendment that removed the right of same-sex couples to marry.

The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, gave the following address today at the “United for Marriage” rally in front of the Supreme Court building. Read more

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