Maine debate over public funding in religious schools takes a step towards the U.S. Supreme Court [Video]

On Tuesday, a legal battle in Maine moved to the federal court of appeals in Boston, bringing a fight over public funding in religious schools one step closer to the United States Supreme Court. The question at the heart of both cases is, should private religious schools be forced to comply with Maine’s anti-discrimination statute in order to receive tuition vouchers covered by taxpayer dollars? In Maine, students who live in towns without public schools can receive tuition vouchers to attend a range of authorized private schools. Until a 2022 Supreme Court ruling, religious schools were excluded from the program to keep church and state separate. Now that they’re eligible, religious schools are required to comply with the same rules as secular private schools, which means they must follow the state’s anti-discrimination statute known as the Maine Human Rights Act. “Our view is if you take public funds, you should …