Here is a list of the most important cases we are watching at the Supreme Court:

1. Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission
Oral arguments: March 31

What’s it about? – Wisconsin argues the Catholic Charities Bureau is not sufficiently religious to get tax-exempt status, even though it is controlled by the Bishops and was created to advance the church’s mission.

Question before the Court: Does a state violate the First Amendment’s Religion Clauses by denying a religious organization an otherwise-available tax exemption because the organization does not meet the state’s criteria for religious behavior?

2. Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic
Oral arguments: April 2

What’s it about? – This case challenges a state law determining Planned Parenthood is not qualified to participate in Medicaid.

Question before the Court: Whether the Medicaid Act’s any-qualified-provider provision unambiguously confers a private right upon a Medicaid beneficiary to choose a specific provider.

3. Mahmoud v. Taylor
Oral arguments: April 22

What’s it about? – Maryland parents are fighting a Montgomery County Board policy forcing students to read controversial books that promote radical ideology and contain highly inappropriate and sexualized content, even encouraging gender transitioning, without parental notification or opt-out opportunity. 

Question before the Court: Do public schools burden parents’ religious exercise when they compel elementary school children to participate in instruction on gender and sexuality against their parents’ religious convictions and without notice or opportunity to opt-out?

4. Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond
Oral arguments: April 30

What’s it about? – In this case, Oklahoma seeks to cancel a contract with a Catholic school because of its religious affiliation. SCOTUS has repeatedly held that religious groups cannot be excluded from generally available programs solely because of their faith in other contexts, so we expect further clarification in this matter.

Questions before the Court: Whether the academic choices of a private school constitute state action simply because it contracts with the state to offer a free educational option for interested students. Also, whether a state violates the Free Exercise Clause by excluding privately run religious schools from the state’s charter school program solely because the schools are religious

5. Chiles v. Salazar
Oral arguments: TBD

What’s it about? – This case challenges a Colorado law that silences counselors and patients who do not align with the state’s view of gender transitioning for minors. A Christian counselor whose patients come to her because of her faith is being forced to deny her faith and the reasonable goals of the patient in order to be able to practice her profession according to the arbitrary desires of the state.

Question before the Court: Whether a law that censors certain conversations between counselors and their clients based on the viewpoints expressed regulates conduct or violates the Free Speech Clause.