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! Controversial Christian Prison Program Cites Recent
Supreme Court Ruling in its Appeal

One week after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that taxpayers cannot sue the White House for promoting
partnerships with religious organizations, the decision is already being cited in other pending lawsuits
concerned with the separation of church and state. On Friday (June 29), attorneys representing a faith-
based rehabilitation program asked a federal court of appeals to consider last week’s Supreme Court ruling
when it decides whether the Iowa prison program must reimburse the state for funds the program received
under a contract that was deemed unconstitutional.

The attorneys representing the InnerChange Freedom Initiative, a Bible-based pre-release program operated
by Prison Fellowship Ministries of Virginia, based their request on the Supreme Court’s decision June 29
to send another case involving reimbursements of government money for a Catholic university education
program back to a lower court for reconsideration, in light of the Court’s decision in an unrelated church-state
case earlier that week. Recent action by the Court impacts whether taxpayers in the prison program case
have the right to obtain reimbursement as well, the attorneys for Prison Fellowship contended. Attorneys
representing opponents of the prison program, on the other hand, said there is no logical connection
between the Supreme Court ruling and whether returning the state money is a remedy to the findings
that the program is unconstitutional. They said the Supreme Court routinely sends cases back to lower
courts and it has no impact on how new cases are decided.

Click here to read more by Roundtable Washington Correspondent Anne Farris.

New! Legal Analysis of Supreme Court Decision on Taxpayers’
Right to Sue White House

Taxpayers cannot sue the federal government over events that reach out to religious organizations on
grounds that they violate separation of church and state, a splintered U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 25.
In Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation, the nation's highest court ruled that taxpayers may not
mount legal challenges against the government over funding to religious organizations unless Congress
has specifically authorized the programs that provide the money. Citizens may not sue over purely
discretionary actions of the President and his administration paid for out of general administrative funds,
the court determined.

The Roundtable’s legal experts, law professors Ira C. Lupu and Robert W. Tuttle of George Washington
University, offer an in-depth analysis of this important case involving taxpayers’ right to challenge the
White House over alleged violations of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. They consider many
questions that could arise in lower court interpretations of the case.

Click here to read the analysis.

Click here for the Roundtable’s Resource Page on the case.

Click here for other news stories on the decision.

New! An Interview with Jason Davies-Kildea of the Salvation Army
in Australia

Jason Davies-Kildea is a lieutenant in the Salvation Army who directs community programs near
Melbourne, Australia. He has been traveling throughout the United States and United Kingdom to
study the work of faith-based organizations outside his own country. He spoke to the Roundtable
at the end of his U.S. visit, after having observed faith-based service organizations in Los Angeles,
New York and Washington, D.C. His work is centered on holistic models of care for highly
disadvantaged people.

Click here to read the interview.

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. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Justice.

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

Grayson County gets new outreach program
Herman Denison Herald Democrat (Texas)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6689

People still open wallets for N.O.; But nationally, aid for disasters falls
New Orleans Times-Picayune (Louisiana)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6690

Baby Battles: Abortion clinics and crisis centers criticize each other's services.
Where does that leave pregnant women?
Albuquerque Journal (New Mexico)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6691

Students donate their summer for missionary work
The Beaufort Gazette (South Carolina)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6692

Bible-based program to continue at Newton prison
The Associated Press State & Local Wire

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6693

Embracing ailing brethren; AIDS outreach on rise at Hispanic churches
Chicago Tribune (Illinois)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6662

Inn Zion Half-Way House Proves to be Success
WTVY-TV (Alabama)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6663

Plan to raise local hiring well received
Buffalo News (New York)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6664

Laura Bush promotes role of faith-based organizations in combating disease in Africa
Associated Press Worldstream

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6665

Dreams Come True: Dream Center moving to place of its own
Evansville Courier & Press (Indiana)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6668

Helping the homeless... or not: A $1.7 million grant could bring Washington
 County its first homeless shelter for singles
The Times (Oregon)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6669

Stronger Church Involvement With Columbus Parolees
WTVM-TV (Georgia)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6670

Volunteers Make Helping Others A Summer Project
Palm Beach Post (Florida)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6671

Groups offer to fund chapel at jail: Building would help provide more space for inmate programs
Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer (Kentucky)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6672

Poverty Worst Here For Black Residents
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6673

Federal Officials See Strong Outlook for 'Faith-Based' Grants Program
The Chronicle of Philanthropy

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6666

House Votes to Change Policy on Overseas Family Planning
Religion News Service

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6667

U.S. Department of Labor awards $3.8 million to 73 faith-based and
community organizations making career connections
U.S. Department of Labor

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6686

Lawsuit challenging Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch funding should be thrown out
Minot Daily News (North Dakota)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6678

Manna Center Breaks Ground: New center will improve ability to serve clients, director says
Springdale Morning News (Arkansas)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6674

Session equips churches for job
The Beaumont Enterprise (Texas)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6675

Youth program wins praise for changing lives
Daytona Beach News-Journal (Florida)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6676

Church to build affordable homes
Florida Today (Florida)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6677

Reform Jewish Movement responds to Supreme Court Decisions
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6687

Statement by the President: Faith-Based and Community Initiative
Business Wire

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6688

Religious Conservatives Like New Court
Religion News Service

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6661

Weekly Opinion Roundup - 7/3/2007
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:

The Roundtable
411 State Street
Albany, New York 12203 518-443-5014

To be removed from the weekly Roundtable E-Newsletter, please send a message to rndtbl@rockinst.org with the word "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.

Click here to go to The Roundtable homepage.

HOMEPAGE | NEWS | EVENTS | INTERVIEWS | LEGAL | PUBLICATIONS | RESEARCH PROJECTS | LINKS

Copyright 2007
The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy