July, 09 2009, 02:07pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
(202) 466-3234,Joe Conn,Rob Boston,Sandhya Bathija
Americans United Urges Senate Judiciary Committee to Ascertain Sotomayor's Views on Church-State Separation
WASHINGTON
Americans United for Separation of Church and State today reiterated
its call for the Senate Judiciary Committee to question Supreme Court
nominee Sonia Sotomayor on issues relating to religious liberty and
church-state separation.
The committee is scheduled to begin hearings on Sotomayor on Monday. In advance of that, Americans United has released a report listing Sotomayor's rulings on church-state issues.
"Sotomayor's church-state rulings are few in number," said the Rev.
Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. "We need more
information, and we're relying on the Judiciary Committee to get it."
AU's examination of Sotomayor's record found rulings in areas such
as prisoners' religious liberty rights, the display of religious
symbols on public property and teacher-led prayer in public schools.
Americans United has asked Judiciary Committee members to question
Sotomayor on several overarching points to better determine her
church-state philosophy. Among them are:
- Does she think the First Amendment builds a "wall of separation
between church and state," as proclaimed by Thomas Jefferson and
recognized by the Supreme Court? - What is the nominee's view of the leading legal tests for determining church-state violations?
- Does Sotomayor believe that government can extend tax funding to religious entities and, if so, under what conditions?
Lynn said it is important that the committee question Sotomayor closely on these and other church-state matters.
Americans United, he said, has taken no position on Sotomayor's nomination.
"If confirmed, Sotomayor will take the place of Justice David
Souter, one of the strongest defenders of church-state separation ever
to sit on the high court," Lynn remarked. "It is imperative that
Souter's replacement adopt the same robust defense of the church-state
wall."
Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.
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Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC sent a letter Monday to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Acting Secretary Debbie-Anne Reese seeking final permission to begin operation on the MVP next month, even while acknowledging that much of the Virginia portion of the pipeline route remains unfinished and developers have yet to fully comply with safety requirements.
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Appalachian Voices noted that MVP's request comes days before pipeline developer Equitrans Midstream is set to release its 2024 first-quarter earnings information on April 30.
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On Monday, climate and environmental defenders also petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, challenging FERC's approval of the MVP's planned Southgate extension, contending that the project is so different from original plans that the government's previous assent is now irrelevant.
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Democracy defenders on Tuesday hailed a ruling from a U.S. federal judge striking down a 19th-century North Carolina law criminalizing people who vote while on parole, probation, or post-release supervision due to a felony conviction.
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