Trinity Lutheran v. Comer
The Court Says That Denying Public Benefits on Account of Religious Status Violates the First Amendment
Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer was featured in State Aid for Religious Groups, Supreme Court Debates (May 2017). The following is excerpted from the 7-to-2 majority opinion written by Chief Justice Roberts, as prepared by the Court Reporter of Decisions. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources policy [of denying grants to any applicant owned or controlled by a church, sect, or other religious entity] violated the rights of Trinity Lutheran under the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment by denying the Church an otherwise available public benefit on account of its religious status. This Court has…
