S7, Ep. 12: A disappointing religious freedom decision to end the SCOTUS term

What remedies does a person have if their religious freedom rights are violated in a state prison? In our season 7 finale, Amanda and Holly go in-depth on the disappointing Supreme Court decision in Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections – the justices make new law that impacts religious freedom rights and potentially congressional power more broadly. Amanda and Holly also look at ways people are protecting rights in Texas, as the fight continues against mandated Bible readings in public school. Plus, they share a quick rundown of the big Supreme Court decisions in the past two days as justices end this term…and get ready for the next.

SHOW NOTES

Segment 1 (starting at 00:35): The Supreme Court's final decisions of the term

We discussed the Landor case on two  previous episodes:

• What's at stake: S7 Ep01: The Supreme Court in a New Era
• The oral arguments: S7 Ep05: A Religious Freedom Caes Flying Under the Radar 

To read BJC's statement after the decision, to see our brief, and to access other resources, visit our website page dedicated to Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections. 

Segment 2 (starting at 11:57): Unpacking the Landor decision and dissent

For more reading about Landor:

• Steve Vladek's piece on One First: The Ascension of Westside Mothers
• Liz Reiner Platt's piece in Religion News Service: A Rastafarian's Supreme Court loss shows religious freedom depends on who you are

Segment 3 (starting at 30:37): Taking action – in Texas and beyond

Want to get updates on our work, as well as on the show? Join our email list. You can let us know at the bottom if you are interested in particular topics.

If you're in North Texas, consider joining our coalition in that area. Click here to sign up for their email list. 

Learn more about our work combating the problematic reading list in Texas on our website. 

Read more in this piece by Sarah Mervosh for The New York Times: Texas Public School Students Will Be Required to Read the Bible

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Video of our episodes are now on YouTube! Click here for the season 7 playlist.