An update from the Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy, an independent research
project of the Rockefeller Institute of Government. The public policy research arm of the State
University of New York.

New! Church-State Separationists Challenge Indiana Social Services Chaplain

A year-old chaplain's position at an Indiana social service agency has become the target of the latest legal
challenge from a Wisconsin-based group opposed to the government endorsement of religion. Freedom
From Religion Foundation on May 2 filed a six-page legal complaint aimed at a $60,000-a-year chaplain
position at the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. While that target is seemingly small, the
implications of the lawsuit could be significant, the Roundtable's legal experts say. They believe the
lawsuit could set a standard for states on an issue known as “taxpayer standing” – whether citizens have the
right to sue – in cases involving the First Amendment's Establishment Clause, the constitutional provision
that bars government from actively promoting religion. The U.S. Supreme Court is slated to issue a
decision soon on whether taxpayers have a right to sue the federal government over Establishment Clause
claims, in a case now known as Hein v. FFRF.

Regular readers of the Roundtable's newsletter may be experiencing déjà vu, as last week's issue also
included a story about an FFRF lawsuit challenging a chaplaincy program, which could have implications
for taxpayer standing. But there are important differences in the lawsuits, including the specific allegations
charged. Among the most significant distinctions of this case against the Indiana FSSA is that it challenges
a state, rather than federal, program – and could provide a test for how an upcoming Supreme Court
decision on taxpayer standing plays out in state and local governments.

Click here to read more by Roundtable Correspondent Claire Hughes.

Click here to read the May 1 article on FFRF's lawsuit against the VA's chaplaincy program.

Click here for the Roundtable's Resource Page on Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation.

New! House Lawmakers Reject Religious Hiring in Head Start

The U.S. House of Representatives last week handed President George W. Bush another defeat in his
administration's repeated efforts to codify religious hiring rights as part of the federal Faith-Based and
Community Initiative. The House, approving the reauthorization of the 42-year-old Head Start early
education program, rejected an attempt by Republicans to change a 1972 Head Start law so that religious
groups participating in the program could consider religion when hiring and firing staff.

The White House issued a statement before the vote, strongly encouraging the House to add the religious
hiring provision because “such provisions should be applied to all federally funded social service programs
so faith-based organizations may operate on an equal level with every other organization competing to
provide services.” The White House said it could not support the bill because of the religion issue and other
provisions, including one to end a student testing system to measure the progress of Head Start children.

Click here to read more by Roundtable Correspondent Anne Farris.

Click here for the Roundtable's Resource Page on Hiring Rights of Religious Organizations.

Weekly Digest of Federal Grants with Faith-Based and Community
Organization Eligibility

The grant opportunities this week for community and faith-based organizations are through programs
administered by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Veterans' Affairs.

Potential applicants should be aware that some grant programs require specific technical expertise, or
experience with particular foreign countries

Click here for the grant digest, compiled by Roundtable Correspondent Allison Sarnoff with Lisa Montiel.

Roundtable Digest of Current Faith-Based News Stories

New Coalition Of Christians Seeks Changes At Borders
The New York Times

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6416

Macon group proposing ambitious housing project:
Organization plans to use Winship school property for plan
Macon Telegraph (Georgia)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6419

A housewarming full of emotion: Local family receives 45th Habitat home
Iowa City Press-Citizen (Iowa)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6420

Church fulfills mandate to help
Bucks County Courier Times (Pennsylvania)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6421

Donations wanted to help young female addicts
The Register-Herald (West Virginia)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6422

Lincoln-Lemington teen gives back by mentoring
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Pennsylvania)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6423

Blighted Hope; A grand plan to convert about 2,400 decrepit
properties into affordable housing has not yet yielded a single home.
Times-Picayune (New Orleans)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6418

Lutheran agency cares for neighbors around world
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6424

Church will be disaster shelter
Sequoyah County Times (Oklahoma)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6425

House Votes to End Test Central to GOP's Shift on Head Start
The Washington Post (Washington, DC)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6402

Back to roots AJCongress: 1st Amendment our priority
Washington Jewish Week (Maryland)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6403

LaTosha Brown relies on the kindness of strangers
Kansas City Community News (Kansas)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6408

Grant: GSA Has 'Lost Its Vision'
Leesburg Today (Virginia)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6409

Evangelicals promote ‘orphan care': Idea is to take positive steps beyond opposing abortion, same-sex adoption
The Associated Press

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6410

Suit: Chaplain job violates constitutions: National atheist group sues FSSA For using state funds to pay pastor
The Indianapolis Star (Indiana)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6415

Revived Beth Shalom is rejuvenating apts. for women fresh out of prison
Lancaster Newspapers (Pennsylvania)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6411

March to A Fresh Start: A Program Strives For A Home Where Crime Won't Grow
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6412

Women's prison transition program finds supporters
Birmingham News (Alabama)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6413

Blunt signs new tax credit for food pantries
The Associated Press (Missouri)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6404

Bill aimed at increasing cooperation between church, state passes
The Associated Press State & Local Wire (Missouri)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6405

Florence School District 1 accepts faith-based programs
Florence Morning News (South Carolina)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6406

Faith-Based Hiring Language Out of Bill Reauthorizing Head Start Program
Congressional Quarterly Today

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6407

Faith-based program a 'breakthrough' for substance abuse
The Daily News (North Carolina)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6414

Weekly Opinion Roundup - 5/8/2007
The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy

The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy promotes informed debate on the issue of publicly funded faith-based social service. Supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Roundtable provides independent, non-partisan research on the scope and scale of faith-based social services, their effectiveness, how public resources are being used in providing such services, and the legal and regulatory issues involved. The Roundtable's comprehensive web site makes this research and related information easily available. It can be accessed by clicking here:

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