US Supreme Court

Here is some news from my hometown region: The Solicitor General plans to make arguments in a US Supreme Court case challenging the constitutionality of having prayers led mostly by Christian pastors before the start of town meetings in Greece, NY (Suburb of Rochester). The Obama administration argued in an amicus brief there is a long-standing tradition of legislative prayer in the United States and such prayer does not violate the constitutional clause barring governmental establishment of religion. There is a circuit split on the issue with the Second Circuit ruling the predominance of Christian prayers before the Greece meetings did violate the establishment clause, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported.

After the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled that a wedding photographer's refusal to photograph same-sex weddings violates the state's Human Rights Act, the photographer is seeking certiorari in the US Supreme Court. SCOTUS Blog reports that the photography business argues that complying with the law forces them to violate their Christian beliefs and violates their constitutional right to the free exercise of religion. If the court takes up the issue it could set the parameters on how far protections for gay Americans will extend.