Dissident Politics: American theocracy update: USSC barely holds the line

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Thursday, May 22, 2025

American theocracy update: USSC barely holds the line

In a 1 page decision, to my enormous surprise, the USSC (barely) said that the Oklahoma religious school, St. Isidor, could not get public funding for its school. It was a 4-4 vote, with Barrett having recused herself due to a conflict of interest in the lawsuit. Presumably Roberts sided with the three Dem judges. On it's face this is good news because it keeps religious schools from forcing taxpayers to pay for parochial education. There still is a thread of vitality left in the Establishment Clause.

Since the USSC decision was a tie, it left intact the Oklahoma supreme court decision to deny the school access to tax revenues.

I do not think this is over. This issue will never go away. Next time, Barrett will not recuse herself and we will get a 5-4 vote to kill what is left of the Establishment Clause and church-state separation.

The peanut gallery put this in persspective:

Peanut 1: Can we take a moment and think about the fact that FOUR justices thought that this was constitutional?

Peanut 2: They're old, they confuse the Bible with the Constitution. It’s sad we even got that close when it’s against the literal constitution. Republicans have no intention of honoring the constitution. They’re hellbent on a weird religious nutjob future.

Peanut 3: America is over, bro. The chance to stop this was months ago and we failed, so it’s over and the fascism is just gonna roll along unabated.

Peanut 4: I’m sure those four justices would’ve voted the exact same way had had been a Muslim school. Just kidding, no they wouldn’t.