(RNS) — The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Wednesday (Jan. 22) for a case that may put to rest decades of debate over government funding for private, religious schools.
The case, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, involves a program in Montana that provided tax breaks to people who funded scholarships for use at private schools, including religious institutions. The state’s Supreme Court ruled the program violated a portion of the Montana Constitution barring the use of government money for religious purposes.
As a result, the program was shut down.
With the case now before the nation’s highest court — which could overturn the lower court’s decision — several religious groups have voiced opposition to any ruling that would grant wide latitude for the
