“When providing social services, our federal government’s top priority should be to ensure that vulnerable people get the help they need without sacrificing their religious freedom or civil rights,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United. “The Trump administration’s unlawful rules do the opposite – they strip critical protections from people who rely on social services and force people to choose between obtaining services they desperately need and remaining true to their personal religious beliefs and identities."

William Barr, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the next attorney general, will face questions before the Senate Judiciary Committee starting Tuesday. We’ve asked members of the committee to question Barr about his troubling writings and speeches on separation of church and state.

There’s no denying that last year was rough for advocates of church-state separation. But there were reasons to celebrate as well. Here’s a look at the year that was – the top 10 church-state stories from 2018 and how they might affect 2019.