shareblue--2020-06-27--Police misconduct often goes unpunished thanks to legal loopholes

An Oregon police officer lost his job and then returned to work after fatally shooting an unarmed Black man in the back .
A Florida sergeant was let go six times for using excessive force and stealing from suspects , while a Texas lieutenant was terminated five times after being accused of striking two women , making threatening calls and committing other infractions .
These officers and hundreds of others across the country were fired , sometimes repeatedly , for violating policies but got their jobs back after appealing their cases to an arbitrator who overturned their discipline — an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in policing say stands in the way of real accountability .
`` Arbitration inherently undermines police decisions , '' said Michael Gennaco , a police reform expert and former federal civil rights prosecutor who specialized in police misconduct cases .
`` It 's dismaying to see arbitrators regularly putting people back to work . ''
The killing of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer sparked weeks of protests and calls for reforms , but experts say arbitration can block those efforts .
Arbitration , the appeals process used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to officer misconduct , limits public oversight and dampens morale , said Stephen Rushin , a Loyola University Chicago law professor who last year published a study on arbitration in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review .
`` Police arbitration on appeal is one of the single most important accountability issues in the country , '' he told the Associated Press .
`` You ca n't change an organization if you have to keep employing people that you know are going to do bad things . ''
Generally , when a misconduct complaint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's investigated internally and if a policy violation occurred , the chief or other official may order discipline ranging from oral reprimand to suspension to termination .
An officer who objects can appeal to an arbitrator .
Each state and municipality is different , but this is the most common process .
Police unions argue that arbitration is less expensive and less time-consuming than going to court , so it 's written into their contracts .
Arbitrators are usually lawyers who focus on labor law , and in most cases they have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
Officers who are fired and reinstated can get back pay for the time they were n't working .
The contract between the Seattle police union and the city states the burden of proof to fire an officer must be `` more than preponderance of the evidence , '' in cases for an offense that could `` stigmatize '' an officer and make it harder to get employment elsewhere .
This type of requirement is common , Gennaco said , adding , `` The raised standard for termination cases is another example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights to police . ''
James Pasco , executive director of the National Fraternal Order of Police , which has 351,000 members , said management should do a better job when hiring officers .
`` Rather than acknowledge their failure in recruiting and screening , they want to blame problem officers on the union contract , '' Pasco said Monday .
`` If they did appropriate recruiting , training and supervision , we would n't be in the position of using arbitration . ''
It 's unclear whether some cases are overturned due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flaws in the internal investigations , or both , said Rushin , the law professor .
One Seattle officer was fired for punching a handcuffed woman in his patrol car in 2014 .
He appealed , and the arbitrator reduced his punishment to a 15-day suspension .
The city appealed in state court , and the judge reinstated his dismissal .
That 's unusual , Rushin said .
More often , union agreements make the arbitrator 's decision final , and a court ca n't overturn it .
Officials in Portland , Oregon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's decision to the Oregon Court of Appeals but lost their bid to enforce the firing of Officer Ron Frashour .
Frashour and another officer had gone to the home of Aaron Campbell on Jan. 29 , 2010 , on a report that he was distraught over his brother 's death .
The officers ordered Campbell to exit the home , and he came out unarmed , walking backward with his hands on his head .
Frashour shot Campbell in his back , killing him .
Portland settled a federal lawsuit with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million , and city officials fired Frashour , concluding Campbell did n't pose a threat .
But an arbitrator ruled in 2012 that the city must reinstate him .
The city appealed and lost again .
San Antonio officials have repeatedly ordered discipline for Lt. Lee Rakun , but he successfully appealed his termination five times , according to reports .
His most recent suspension occurred in 2018 for leaving work early and defying authority .
He appealed that firing once again .
Rakun is n't alone .
San Antonio TV station KSAT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gotten their jobs back since 2010 .
San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh said the current collective bargaining agreement limits the chief 's ability to appropriately discipline officers .
`` We intend to bring those issues to the next contract negotiation with the police union , '' he said .
`` I am hoping the police union will agree that these cases tarnish and impact the community 's confidence in our police department . ''
A Florida police officer who was fired six times went back on patrol in 2018 .
An arbitrator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sgt .
German Bosque after he was fired in 2013 for evidence tampering .
A 2011 Sarasota Herald-Tribune report said Bosque had 40 internal affairs complaints , including 16 for battery or excessive force .
When an arbitrator changes the punishment or throws it out , it can have a demoralizing effect on the people in charge .
`` One of the most common complaints I 've heard from chiefs is they say why should an unelected arbitrator , who does n't know our department , does n't know our history , why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to decide which type of punishment is excessive and which type of punishment is reasonable ? ''
Rushin said .
No state or federal agency tracks arbitration outcomes , but media investigations have documented hundreds of officers who returned to work after being fired .
A Washington Post report documented 1,881 officers who were fired between 2006 and 2016 , and 451 got their jobs back through arbitration .

An Oregon police officer lost his job and then returned to work after fatally shooting an unarmed Black man in the back. A Florida sergeant was let go six times for using excessive force and stealing from suspects, while a Texas lieutenant was terminated five times after being accused of striking two women, making threatening calls and committing other infractions.
These officers and hundreds of others across the country were fired, sometimes repeatedly, for violating policies but got their jobs back after appealing their cases to an arbitrator who overturned their discipline — an all-too-common practice that some experts in law and in policing say stands in the way of real accountability.
“Arbitration inherently undermines police decisions,” said Michael Gennaco, a police reform expert and former federal civil rights prosecutor who specialized in police misconduct cases. “It’s dismaying to see arbitrators regularly putting people back to work.”
The killing of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer sparked weeks of protests and calls for reforms, but experts say arbitration can block those efforts.
Arbitration, the appeals process used by most law enforcement agencies, contributes to officer misconduct, limits public oversight and dampens morale, said Stephen Rushin, a Loyola University Chicago law professor who last year published a study on arbitration in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review.
“Police arbitration on appeal is one of the single most important accountability issues in the country,” he told the Associated Press. “You can’t change an organization if you have to keep employing people that you know are going to do bad things.”
Generally, when a misconduct complaint is filed against an officer, it’s investigated internally and if a policy violation occurred, the chief or other official may order discipline ranging from oral reprimand to suspension to termination.
An officer who objects can appeal to an arbitrator. Each state and municipality is different, but this is the most common process. Police unions argue that arbitration is less expensive and less time-consuming than going to court, so it’s written into their contracts.
Arbitrators are usually lawyers who focus on labor law, and in most cases they have the final word. The process can take years. Officers who are fired and reinstated can get back pay for the time they weren’t working.
The contract between the Seattle police union and the city states the burden of proof to fire an officer must be “more than preponderance of the evidence,” in cases for an offense that could “stigmatize” an officer and make it harder to get employment elsewhere.
This type of requirement is common, Gennaco said, adding, “The raised standard for termination cases is another example of a union contract that gives special rights to police.”
James Pasco, executive director of the National Fraternal Order of Police, which has 351,000 members, said management should do a better job when hiring officers.
“Rather than acknowledge their failure in recruiting and screening, they want to blame problem officers on the union contract,” Pasco said Monday. “If they did appropriate recruiting, training and supervision, we wouldn’t be in the position of using arbitration.”
It’s unclear whether some cases are overturned due to an arbitrator’s personal bias or flaws in the internal investigations, or both, said Rushin, the law professor.
One Seattle officer was fired for punching a handcuffed woman in his patrol car in 2014. He appealed, and the arbitrator reduced his punishment to a 15-day suspension. The city appealed in state court, and the judge reinstated his dismissal.
That’s unusual, Rushin said. More often, union agreements make the arbitrator’s decision final, and a court can’t overturn it.
Officials in Portland, Oregon, took their opposition to an arbitrator’s decision to the Oregon Court of Appeals but lost their bid to enforce the firing of Officer Ron Frashour.
Frashour and another officer had gone to the home of Aaron Campbell on Jan. 29, 2010, on a report that he was distraught over his brother’s death. The officers ordered Campbell to exit the home, and he came out unarmed, walking backward with his hands on his head. Frashour shot Campbell in his back, killing him.
Portland settled a federal lawsuit with the Campbell estate in 2012 for $1.2 million, and city officials fired Frashour, concluding Campbell didn’t pose a threat. But an arbitrator ruled in 2012 that the city must reinstate him. The city appealed and lost again.
San Antonio officials have repeatedly ordered discipline for Lt. Lee Rakun, but he successfully appealed his termination five times, according to reports. His most recent suspension occurred in 2018 for leaving work early and defying authority. He appealed that firing once again.
Rakun isn’t alone. San Antonio TV station KSAT found that two-thirds of fired officers had gotten their jobs back since 2010.
San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh said the current collective bargaining agreement limits the chief’s ability to appropriately discipline officers.
“We intend to bring those issues to the next contract negotiation with the police union,” he said. “I am hoping the police union will agree that these cases tarnish and impact the community’s confidence in our police department.”
A Florida police officer who was fired six times went back on patrol in 2018. An arbitrator ordered the Opa-locka Police Department to rehire Sgt. German Bosque after he was fired in 2013 for evidence tampering. A 2011 Sarasota Herald-Tribune report said Bosque had 40 internal affairs complaints, including 16 for battery or excessive force.
When an arbitrator changes the punishment or throws it out, it can have a demoralizing effect on the people in charge.
“One of the most common complaints I’ve heard from chiefs is they say why should an unelected arbitrator, who doesn’t know our department, doesn’t know our history, why should they be the one that gets to decide which type of punishment is excessive and which type of punishment is reasonable?” Rushin said.
No state or federal agency tracks arbitration outcomes, but media investigations have documented hundreds of officers who returned to work after being fired. A Washington Post report documented 1,881 officers who were fired between 2006 and 2016, and 451 got their jobs back through arbitration.


shareblue--2020-06-28--LGBTQ Pride at 50: First online celebration puts Black Lives Matter front and center

LGBTQ Pride is turning 50 this year , and activists and organizers are using the intersection of holiday and history in the making — including the Supreme Court 's decision giving LGBT people workplace protections — to uplift the people of color already among them and by making Black Lives Matter the centerpiece of Global Pride events Saturday .
`` Pride was born of protest , '' said Cathy Renna , communications director of the National LGBTQ Task Force , seeing analogies in the pandemic and in common threads of the Black and LGBTQ rights movements .
`` Trans women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been called an epidemic , and the Stonewall uprising happened in response to police harassment and brutality , '' Renna said in an email .
The first Pride march took place June 28 , 1970 , a year after the 1969 uprisings at the Stonewall Inn , a gay bar , which were led by trans women of color .
A few other commemorations took place that year and later spread until 50 years on , there 's scarcely a patch on Earth that does n't host some type of Pride event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest , but social distancing measures to check the spread of COVID-19 everywhere from Scranton to Sao Paulo made cancellation or postponement a certainty .
Global Pride is billed as a 24-hour stream of music , performances , speeches , and messages of support .
It is being hosted Saturday by Todrick Hall on his YouTube channel , on iHeartRadio 's YouTube channel , and on the Global Pride website .
It will feature activists and politicians , including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , and entertainers such as Betty Who , Deborah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Martha Wash. '' Trans folks , particularly the LGBTQ-I folks of color , have gotten discrimination from the larger systems of white supremacy and on racist terms , and then also have experienced transphobia and homophobia within our own communities , '' Laverne Cox , the pioneering trans actor who starred in `` Orange Is the New Black , '' told the Associated Press in an interview this month .
`` And so , part of what the Black Trans Lives Matter movement ... is acknowledging that communities of color still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fully reconcile our history of transphobia , specifically , and homophobia as well , '' Cox said .
In Minnesota , where Floyd died last month at the hands of Minneapolis police , it was immediately clear that Pride as usual — one of the nation 's largest — would be inappropriate , said Twin Cities Pride board member Felix Foster .
Instead , Pride will include a virtual march of recorded videos , a stretch of silence in honor of Floyd , and solidarity with a march for Jamar Clark , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2015 , Foster said .
In northeastern Pennsylvania , the group Queer NEPA is hosting online events and supporting others held by Black activists after rallying in previous years in nearby Wilkes-Barre and raising a rainbow flag at Scranton City Hall .
`` Some people would say Pride is canceled , but I would say it has evolved , '' said board co-chair Em Maloney .
`` This year is different because more people have a better consciousness of white privilege and of the problems surrounding racial justice . ''
Maloney was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recent Black Lives Matter protest in Scranton , describing it as `` everyone coming together because of the belief that nobody will be free until everyone is free . ''
The Pride website for Philadelphia , a two-hour drive south , notes that events planned earlier in June were canceled — and it shouts BLACK LIVES MATTER !
before advising of online alternatives .
Philadelphia in 2017 introduced a new rainbow flag that featured a black and a brown stripe above the usual colors of the spectrum , to highlight people of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but critics have largely come around and the design is now common around the world .
`` Our flag helped start a global conversation and it 's brought me to tears to see it everywhere during this pivotal time in our country 's history , '' Amber Hikes — who worked for the mayor 's office when she revealed the design and who is now the American Civil Liberties Union 's first chief equity and inclusion officer — said in a Facebook post .
`` We 're never going to stop letting ourselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damn world know that our liberation has always been led by BIPOC queer and trans folks — and when we do get free , when we get free together , it will be with Black and brown queer & trans folks at the front . ''

LGBTQ Pride is turning 50 this year, and activists and organizers are using the intersection of holiday and history in the making — including the Supreme Court’s decision giving LGBT people workplace protections — to uplift the people of color already among them and by making Black Lives Matter the centerpiece of Global Pride events Saturday.
“Pride was born of protest,” said Cathy Renna, communications director of the National LGBTQ Task Force, seeing analogies in the pandemic and in common threads of the Black and LGBTQ rights movements.
“Trans women of color have been targeted in what has been called an epidemic, and the Stonewall uprising happened in response to police harassment and brutality,” Renna said in an email.
The first Pride march took place June 28, 1970, a year after the 1969 uprisings at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar, which were led by trans women of color.
A few other commemorations took place that year and later spread until 50 years on, there’s scarcely a patch on Earth that doesn’t host some type of Pride event.
New York’s is among the largest, but social distancing measures to check the spread of COVID-19 everywhere from Scranton to Sao Paulo made cancellation or postponement a certainty.
Global Pride is billed as a 24-hour stream of music, performances, speeches, and messages of support. It is being hosted Saturday by Todrick Hall on his YouTube channel, on iHeartRadio’s YouTube channel, and on the Global Pride website.
It will feature activists and politicians, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and entertainers such as Betty Who, Deborah Cox, Laverne Cox, Jake Shears, and Martha Wash.
“Trans folks, particularly the LGBTQ-I folks of color, have gotten discrimination from the larger systems of white supremacy and on racist terms, and then also have experienced transphobia and homophobia within our own communities,” Laverne Cox, the pioneering trans actor who starred in “Orange Is the New Black,” told the Associated Press in an interview this month.
“And so, part of what the Black Trans Lives Matter movement … is acknowledging that communities of color still have a lot of work to do to fully reconcile our history of transphobia, specifically, and homophobia as well,” Cox said.
In Minnesota, where Floyd died last month at the hands of Minneapolis police, it was immediately clear that Pride as usual — one of the nation’s largest — would be inappropriate, said Twin Cities Pride board member Felix Foster.
Instead, Pride will include a virtual march of recorded videos, a stretch of silence in honor of Floyd, and solidarity with a march for Jamar Clark, a Black man killed by Minneapolis police in 2015, Foster said.
In northeastern Pennsylvania, the group Queer NEPA is hosting online events and supporting others held by Black activists after rallying in previous years in nearby Wilkes-Barre and raising a rainbow flag at Scranton City Hall.
“Some people would say Pride is canceled, but I would say it has evolved,” said board co-chair Em Maloney. “This year is different because more people have a better consciousness of white privilege and of the problems surrounding racial justice.”
Maloney was heartened to see a big turnout at a recent Black Lives Matter protest in Scranton, describing it as “everyone coming together because of the belief that nobody will be free until everyone is free.”
The Pride website for Philadelphia, a two-hour drive south, notes that events planned earlier in June were canceled — and it shouts BLACK LIVES MATTER! before advising of online alternatives.
Philadelphia in 2017 introduced a new rainbow flag that featured a black and a brown stripe above the usual colors of the spectrum, to highlight people of color. It was instantly polarizing, but critics have largely come around and the design is now common around the world.
“Our flag helped start a global conversation and it’s brought me to tears to see it everywhere during this pivotal time in our country’s history,” Amber Hikes — who worked for the mayor’s office when she revealed the design and who is now the American Civil Liberties Union’s first chief equity and inclusion officer — said in a Facebook post.
“We’re never going to stop letting ourselves, each other, and the whole damn world know that our liberation has always been led by BIPOC queer and trans folks — and when we do get free, when we get free together, it will be with Black and brown queer & trans folks at the front.”


shareblue--2020-06-28--Black graduates of evangelical Liberty University call out school's racism

As the nation wrestles with how to do more for racial equality , Liberty University — a school whose leadership has said it does n't have a problem — is facing its own tough questions .
Jerry Falwell Jr. , who leads the prominent evangelical Christian university , apologized this month after posting a tweet invoking the blackface scandal that engulfed Virginia 's governor last year .
But Falwell 's rare show of contrition , which followed a rebuke from nearly three dozen Black Liberty alumni , has left many African American students , alumni , and staff unconvinced of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to its promises about diversity .
At least four Black Liberty staff members have resigned since Falwell 's tweet , several high-profile Black student-athletes have announced transfer plans , and current and former students as well as employees have become more willing to openly criticize the university 's approach to race and diversity .
That shift comes as institutions across the country are grappling with the stain of racism and as internal documents show the university 's share of on-campus Black students has fallen .
`` Knowing what I know , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and even now continues to operate , it is clear that Jerry does n't even begin to comprehend what it means to be truly apologetic , '' one resigned staffer , former director of diversity retention LeeQuan McLaurin , said .
While pushback against Falwell has simmered since his 2016 endorsement of Donald Trump , his detractors have been an outspoken but undersized presence in Lynchburg , where Liberty has a formidable economic footprint .
Indeed , McLaurin and other disheartened Black alumni have limited power to force change .
Falwell was endorsed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board of trustees in a June 8 release that touted the school as a home for `` students and staff of all races ! ''
But interviews with more than a dozen current and former students and employees point to significant doubt that the school 's culture is as welcoming as it claims .
Keyvon Scott , who resigned as an online admissions counselor after Falwell 's tweet , said that `` if he 's serious , he needs to make a change , not just put it '' on social media .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam 's mask mandate , included a picture of a mask bearing a photo of a person in blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan costume .
That photo appeared on Northam 's medical school yearbook page and — when made public last year — sparked a furor that nearly forced him from office .
Falwell initially defended the tweet as a response to Northam 's proposed cuts to online tuition assistance .
In a June 8 video interview about his apology , Falwell said : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I inadvertently hit some people that love me ... the Liberty African American community . ''
The late evangelist and Moral Majority leader the Rev .
Jerry Falwell founded Liberty in 1971 with just 154 students .
Under the leadership of his namesake , who is an attorney and is not a minister , Liberty has grown into a leading evangelical university , with an immaculate campus and a $ 1.6 billion endowment .
The school , which declined to comment for this story , announced this year it had surpassed 100,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Liberty 's reckoning over race comes as its share of on-campus Black students has declined in recent years .
Internal documents obtained by AP show Black students made up 13 % of Liberty 's resident undergraduates in 2007 and just 5 % last year .
The 35 Black alumni who wrote to Falwell criticizing his rhetoric have sought a meeting to discuss further changes .
McLaurin proposed the selection of someone without financial or political ties to Liberty to execute a strategic plan for `` diversity , equity , inclusion and access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to aid Liberty employees and teachers `` suffering from racial trauma '' has raised more than $ 18,000 .
Maina Mwaura , a Liberty graduate who helped organize the alumni letter , said Falwell 's initial apology gave him `` a little bit of hope '' that the school could be more welcoming — hope that has since faded .
`` I can not recommend this place to anyone who is a marginalized person .
Period , '' Mwaura said .
Mwaura lauded students and former staff who spoke out , which he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within the evangelical body of Christ , because Liberty 's tentacles are so far-reaching . ''
At least four student-athletes have announced plans to transfer out of Liberty since Falwell 's tweet .
Basketball player Asia Todd , who is Black , shared her decision in a video that identified `` racial insensitivities shown within the leadership and culture '' of the school .
Football players Tayvion Land and Kei'Trel Clark , who are also Black , shared their transfer plans in social media posts with a Black Lives Matter hashtag .
Land @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recruits .
Another player , Waylen Cozad , announced his decision without explanation .
Liberty 's provost told local news station WSET that the school had terminated a professor whose behavior contributed to Land and Clark 's transfer decisions .
The athletes are n't alone among the disappointed .
`` It 's a personal regret of mine , getting my degree from here now , '' said Liberty senior Janea Berkley , a leader at the school 's Black Christian Student Association .
`` I would never want to give my money to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that felt like my life mattered . ''
Thomas Starchia , who resigned as an associate director in the school 's office of spiritual development , said Liberty students and staff made good-faith efforts to promote diversity but its president 's tweet was a `` tipping point . ''
Acknowledgment of Liberty 's difficulties engaging on race is n't limited to staffers and alumni of color .
Recent graduate Calum Best said that `` there is no serious conversation about it . ''
`` Many Christians are plenty happy to have hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like abortion , like homosexuality , '' said Best , who is white .
`` For whatever reason , racism is a thing they do n't want to talk about .
It 's a personal heart issue to them , something to be prayed over . ''

As the nation wrestles with how to do more for racial equality, Liberty University — a school whose leadership has said it doesn’t have a problem — is facing its own tough questions.
Jerry Falwell Jr., who leads the prominent evangelical Christian university, apologized this month after posting a tweet invoking the blackface scandal that engulfed Virginia’s governor last year. But Falwell’s rare show of contrition, which followed a rebuke from nearly three dozen Black Liberty alumni, has left many African American students, alumni, and staff unconvinced of his interest in helping the school live up to its promises about diversity.
At least four Black Liberty staff members have resigned since Falwell’s tweet, several high-profile Black student-athletes have announced transfer plans, and current and former students as well as employees have become more willing to openly criticize the university’s approach to race and diversity. That shift comes as institutions across the country are grappling with the stain of racism and as internal documents show the university’s share of on-campus Black students has fallen.
“Knowing what I know, and seeing how the university has been run and even now continues to operate, it is clear that Jerry doesn’t even begin to comprehend what it means to be truly apologetic,” one resigned staffer, former director of diversity retention LeeQuan McLaurin, said.
While pushback against Falwell has simmered since his 2016 endorsement of Donald Trump, his detractors have been an outspoken but undersized presence in Lynchburg, where Liberty has a formidable economic footprint. Indeed, McLaurin and other disheartened Black alumni have limited power to force change. Falwell was endorsed after his apology by the school’s board of trustees in a June 8 release that touted the school as a home for “students and staff of all races!”
But interviews with more than a dozen current and former students and employees point to significant doubt that the school’s culture is as welcoming as it claims.
Keyvon Scott, who resigned as an online admissions counselor after Falwell’s tweet, said that “if he’s serious, he needs to make a change, not just put it” on social media.
Falwell’s May 27 tweet, aimed at Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s mask mandate, included a picture of a mask bearing a photo of a person in blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan costume. That photo appeared on Northam’s medical school yearbook page and — when made public last year — sparked a furor that nearly forced him from office.
Falwell initially defended the tweet as a response to Northam’s proposed cuts to online tuition assistance. In a June 8 video interview about his apology, Falwell said: “When I was swinging at the governor, I inadvertently hit some people that love me … the Liberty African American community.”
The late evangelist and Moral Majority leader the Rev. Jerry Falwell founded Liberty in 1971 with just 154 students. Under the leadership of his namesake, who is an attorney and is not a minister, Liberty has grown into a leading evangelical university, with an immaculate campus and a $1.6 billion endowment.
The school, which declined to comment for this story, announced this year it had surpassed 100,000 students enrolled in its online programs. But Liberty’s reckoning over race comes as its share of on-campus Black students has declined in recent years. Internal documents obtained by AP show Black students made up 13% of Liberty’s resident undergraduates in 2007 and just 5% last year.
The 35 Black alumni who wrote to Falwell criticizing his rhetoric have sought a meeting to discuss further changes. McLaurin proposed the selection of someone without financial or political ties to Liberty to execute a strategic plan for “diversity, equity, inclusion and access.” An online fundraiser he launched to aid Liberty employees and teachers “suffering from racial trauma” has raised more than $18,000.
Maina Mwaura, a Liberty graduate who helped organize the alumni letter, said Falwell’s initial apology gave him “a little bit of hope” that the school could be more welcoming — hope that has since faded.
“I cannot recommend this place to anyone who is a marginalized person. Period,” Mwaura said.
Mwaura lauded students and former staff who spoke out, which he said amounts to “a big deal within the evangelical body of Christ, because Liberty’s tentacles are so far-reaching.”
At least four student-athletes have announced plans to transfer out of Liberty since Falwell’s tweet.
Basketball player Asia Todd, who is Black, shared her decision in a video that identified “racial insensitivities shown within the leadership and culture” of the school.
Football players Tayvion Land and Kei’Trel Clark, who are also Black, shared their transfer plans in social media posts with a Black Lives Matter hashtag. Land was among the school’s highest-rated football recruits. Another player, Waylen Cozad, announced his decision without explanation.
Liberty’s provost told local news station WSET that the school had terminated a professor whose behavior contributed to Land and Clark’s transfer decisions.
The athletes aren’t alone among the disappointed.
“It’s a personal regret of mine, getting my degree from here now,” said Liberty senior Janea Berkley, a leader at the school’s Black Christian Student Association. “I would never want to give my money to a place that didn’t support me, that felt like my life mattered.”
Thomas Starchia, who resigned as an associate director in the school’s office of spiritual development, said Liberty students and staff made good-faith efforts to promote diversity but its president’s tweet was a “tipping point.”
Acknowledgment of Liberty’s difficulties engaging on race isn’t limited to staffers and alumni of color. Recent graduate Calum Best said that “there is no serious conversation about it.”
“Many Christians are plenty happy to have hard conversations about issues they care about, like abortion, like homosexuality,” said Best, who is white. “For whatever reason, racism is a thing they don’t want to talk about. It’s a personal heart issue to them, something to be prayed over.”


shareblue--2020-07-01--Republicans finally think wearing masks is good after months of denial

Republican leaders are finally encouraging Americans to wear masks in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus , weeks after health experts first advised the public to do so .
The change in tone comes as cases continue to increase in 35 states and polls show Americans increasingly souring on Donald Trump ’ s handling of the crisis .
During a visit Sunday to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas , Texas , a coronavirus hotspot , Vice President Mike Pence said `` wearing a mask is just a good idea . ''
Pence made the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was criticized for refusing to wear a mask during a visit to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota .
On Monday , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took to the Senate floor where he urged people to wear masks , saying doing so `` is not about protecting ourselves , it is about protecting everyone we encounter . ''
Republican senators , including Shelly Moore Capito of West Virginia , Martha McSally of Arizona , and Tim Scott of South Carolina , have all used their social media presence in recent days to encourage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Friday , Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney tweeted a photo of her father , former Vice President Dick Cheney , wearing a mask , along with the message , `` Dick Cheney says WEAR A MASK .
# realmenwearmasks . ''
Even one of Trump 's favorite television programs , `` Fox & Friends , '' implored Trump to wear a mask , which he has so far mostly refused to do .
Wearing a mask , said co-host Steve Doocy , `` would just set a good example , he 'd be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position is a stark reversal from the party 's previous anti-mask position .
Rep. Clay Higgins ( R-LA ) told CNN as recently as May 28 that wearing a mask was `` part of the dehumanization of the children of God . ''
That same month , Trump retweeted Fox News personality Brit Hume after Hume mocked Democratic presumptive nominee Joe Biden for wearing a mask .
While some Republican leaders are finally encouraging Americans to wear masks , Trump has refused to wear masks or encourage his supporters to do so .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Phoenix , Trump spoke to largely unmasked crowds .
In Tulsa , attendees did not practice social distancing and most did not wear masks .
At least eight campaign staffers at that rally later tested positive for coronavirus , prompting officials to force all staffers who attended the event to get tested as well .
The GOP break with Trump 's lax attitude toward a proven virus safety measure coincides with polling that shows Americans increasingly unhappy with how Trump is handling the crisis and his presidency overall .
According to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans who say Trump has done a `` good job '' handling the pandemic has dropped from 53 % in March to 41 % this month On Sunday , former New Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie , a Republican with close ties to Trump , told ABC 's `` This Week '' that if Trump `` does n't change course , both in terms of the substance of what he ’ s discussing and the way that he approaches the American people , '' he would most likely lose the presidential race in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that while these national polls are less significant in terms of the raw numbers , the trend is obvious , '' Christie said .
`` The trend is moving towards Joe Biden , when Joe Biden has n't said a word .
... No discredit to the vice president , if you 're winning without doing anything , why do anything ? ''
As of Tuesday afternoon , the United States had more than 2.6 million confirmed coronavirus cases , according to the New York Times .
At least 126,161 people have died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Independent Foundation .

Republican leaders are finally encouraging Americans to wear masks in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus, weeks after health experts first advised the public to do so.
The change in tone comes as cases continue to increase in 35 states and polls show Americans increasingly souring on Donald Trump’s handling of the crisis.
During a visit Sunday to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, a coronavirus hotspot, Vice President Mike Pence said “wearing a mask is just a good idea.”
Pence made the comment less than two months after he was criticized for refusing to wear a mask during a visit to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took to the Senate floor where he urged people to wear masks, saying doing so “is not about protecting ourselves, it is about protecting everyone we encounter.”
Republican senators, including Shelly Moore Capito of West Virginia, Martha McSally of Arizona, and Tim Scott of South Carolina, have all used their social media presence in recent days to encourage the use of face masks.
And on Friday, Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney tweeted a photo of her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, wearing a mask, along with the message, “Dick Cheney says WEAR A MASK. #realmenwearmasks.”
Even one of Trump’s favorite television programs, “Fox & Friends,” implored Trump to wear a mask, which he has so far mostly refused to do. Wearing a mask, said co-host Steve Doocy, “would just set a good example, he’d be a good role model.”
The position is a stark reversal from the party’s previous anti-mask position.
Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) told CNN as recently as May 28 that wearing a mask was “part of the dehumanization of the children of God.”
That same month, Trump retweeted Fox News personality Brit Hume after Hume mocked Democratic presumptive nominee Joe Biden for wearing a mask.
While some Republican leaders are finally encouraging Americans to wear masks, Trump has refused to wear masks or encourage his supporters to do so.
At recent campaign events in both Tulsa and Phoenix, Trump spoke to largely unmasked crowds. In Tulsa, attendees did not practice social distancing and most did not wear masks. At least eight campaign staffers at that rally later tested positive for coronavirus, prompting officials to force all staffers who attended the event to get tested as well.
The GOP break with Trump’s lax attitude toward a proven virus safety measure coincides with polling that shows Americans increasingly unhappy with how Trump is handling the crisis and his presidency overall.
According to a CBS News poll, the percentage of Americans who say Trump has done a “good job” handling the pandemic has dropped from 53% in March to 41% this month
On Sunday, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican with close ties to Trump, told ABC’s “This Week” that if Trump “doesn’t change course, both in terms of the substance of what he’s discussing and the way that he approaches the American people,” he would most likely lose the presidential race in November.
“There’s no question that while these national polls are less significant in terms of the raw numbers, the trend is obvious,” Christie said. “The trend is moving towards Joe Biden, when Joe Biden hasn’t said a word. …No discredit to the vice president, if you’re winning without doing anything, why do anything?”
As of Tuesday afternoon, the United States had more than 2.6 million confirmed coronavirus cases, according to the New York Times. At least 126,161 people have died.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-01--Oklahoma becomes 5th state where voters overrule GOP to expand Medicaid

Voters in Oklahoma on Tuesday voted to expand Medicaid coverage to include more low-income residents , overruling the GOP-controlled legislature and the governor , who had refused to broaden the program .
The measure voters approved amends the state 's Constitution in an effort to block the Republican legislature from rolling back the expansion .
Oklahoma is now the fifth GOP-run state in which voters have expanded Medicaid coverage by ballot measure .
Maine expanded coverage in 2017 after Republican Gov .
Paul LePage stood as a constant road block to providing more low-income Mainers with health care .
Voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — all Republican-run states — also expanded Medicaid via ballot measure .
A sixth Republican-controlled state , Missouri , is set to vote on Medicaid expansion in August .
Just 13 states have not expanded Medicaid , an option given to the states under the Affordable Care Act enacted in 2010 .
Known as Obamacare , the act gives states the option to expand Medicaid to residents whose income falls below 138 % of the federal poverty level .
In 2020 , the federal poverty level for a family of four is calculated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in 2020 families of four that earn $ 36,156 a year qualify for coverage .
Oklahoma 's Medicaid expansion comes as Donald Trump has urged the Supreme Court to invalidate Obamacare .
If the Supreme Court sides with Trump , tens of millions of people who receive health insurance through the federal exchange , including the more than 15.5 million who receive coverage through Obamacare 's Medicaid expansion , will lose coverage , according to data published by the Kaiser Family Foundation .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Voters in Oklahoma on Tuesday voted to expand Medicaid coverage to include more low-income residents, overruling the GOP-controlled legislature and the governor, who had refused to broaden the program.
The measure voters approved amends the state’s Constitution in an effort to block the Republican legislature from rolling back the expansion.
Oklahoma is now the fifth GOP-run state in which voters have expanded Medicaid coverage by ballot measure.
Maine expanded coverage in 2017 after Republican Gov. Paul LePage stood as a constant road block to providing more low-income Mainers with health care. Voters in Idaho, Utah, and Nebraska — all Republican-run states — also expanded Medicaid via ballot measure.
A sixth Republican-controlled state, Missouri, is set to vote on Medicaid expansion in August.
Just 13 states have not expanded Medicaid, an option given to the states under the Affordable Care Act enacted in 2010.
Known as Obamacare, the act gives states the option to expand Medicaid to residents whose income falls below 138% of the federal poverty level. In 2020, the federal poverty level for a family of four is calculated at $26,200. Under Medicaid expansion, in 2020 families of four that earn $36,156 a year qualify for coverage.
Oklahoma’s Medicaid expansion comes as Donald Trump has urged the Supreme Court to invalidate Obamacare.
If the Supreme Court sides with Trump, tens of millions of people who receive health insurance through the federal exchange, including the more than 15.5 million who receive coverage through Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion, will lose coverage, according to data published by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-01--Far-right conspiracy theorist ousts GOP congressman in Colorado primary

Five-term Colorado U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton was upset in Tuesday 's Republican Party primary by Lauren Boebert , a pistol-packing businesswoman , ardent defender of gun rights , and border wall supporter who wants to abolish the U.S. Department of Education .
Boebert won after a campaign in which she accused Tipton of not being sufficiently pro-Donald Trump even though Trump had endorsed Tipton , and even though Tipton is the Trump campaign 's co-chair for Colorado .
Trump congratulated Boebert on Twitter , saying , `` Congratulations on a really great win . ''
She will run in November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a former state lawmaker who won the Democratic nomination on Tuesday by defeating businessman James Iacino .
Tipton defeated Mitsch Bush in the 2018 election to represent the 3rd Congressional District , which encompasses a swath of southern and western Colorado .
Tipton conceded in an email sent by his longtime campaign consultant Michael Fortney .
`` ( Third ) District Republicans have decided who they want to run against the Democrats this November , '' Tipton wrote .
`` I want to congratulate Lauren Boebert and wish her and her supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for herself after loudly protesting Democratic Gov .
Jared Polis ' orders to close businesses to fight the coronavirus pandemic .
She opened her Shooters Grill restaurant in defiance of closure orders .
Boebert confronted then-Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke during a stop last year in the Denver suburb of Aurora , questioning him on suggestions he 'd confiscate guns — a moment that landed her on Fox News .
`` A sober look at the Tipton Record shows a back-burner representative that has failed to live up to his conservative chops that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trail , '' Boebert wrote in a recent Aspen Times column .
`` If his record lived up to his campaign rhetoric , I would n't feel so compelled to run . ''
Earlier this year , Boebert said in an interview that she was `` very familiar '' with the QAnon far-right conspiracy theory , but she stopped short of saying she was a follower .
`` Everything that I 've heard of Q , I hope that this is real because it only means that America is getting stronger and better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ values , '' she told interviewer Ann Vandersteel .
QAnon followers believe that Trump is fighting enemies in the `` deep state '' and a child sex trafficking ring run by satanic pedophiles and cannibals .
The QAnon name comes from online clues purportedly posted by a high-ranking government official known as `` Q . ''

Five-term Colorado U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton was upset in Tuesday’s Republican Party primary by Lauren Boebert, a pistol-packing businesswoman, ardent defender of gun rights, and border wall supporter who wants to abolish the U.S. Department of Education.
Boebert won after a campaign in which she accused Tipton of not being sufficiently pro-Donald Trump even though Trump had endorsed Tipton, and even though Tipton is the Trump campaign’s co-chair for Colorado. Trump congratulated Boebert on Twitter, saying, “Congratulations on a really great win.”
She will run in November’s general election against Diane Mitsch Bush, a former state lawmaker who won the Democratic nomination on Tuesday by defeating businessman James Iacino. Tipton defeated Mitsch Bush in the 2018 election to represent the 3rd Congressional District, which encompasses a swath of southern and western Colorado.
Tipton conceded in an email sent by his longtime campaign consultant Michael Fortney.
“(Third) District Republicans have decided who they want to run against the Democrats this November,” Tipton wrote. “I want to congratulate Lauren Boebert and wish her and her supporters well.”
Boebert made a name for herself after loudly protesting Democratic Gov. Jared Polis’ orders to close businesses to fight the coronavirus pandemic. She opened her Shooters Grill restaurant in defiance of closure orders.
Boebert confronted then-Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke during a stop last year in the Denver suburb of Aurora, questioning him on suggestions he’d confiscate guns — a moment that landed her on Fox News.
“A sober look at the Tipton Record shows a back-burner representative that has failed to live up to his conservative chops that he touted on his Tea Party-inspired campaign trail,” Boebert wrote in a recent Aspen Times column. “If his record lived up to his campaign rhetoric, I wouldn’t feel so compelled to run.”
Earlier this year, Boebert said in an interview that she was “very familiar” with the QAnon far-right conspiracy theory, but she stopped short of saying she was a follower.
“Everything that I’ve heard of Q, I hope that this is real because it only means that America is getting stronger and better, and people are returning to conservative values,” she told interviewer Ann Vandersteel.
QAnon followers believe that Trump is fighting enemies in the “deep state” and a child sex trafficking ring run by satanic pedophiles and cannibals. The QAnon name comes from online clues purportedly posted by a high-ranking government official known as “Q.”


shareblue--2020-07-01--Trump threatens to bring housing segregation back to the suburbs

Donald Trump once again fanned the flames of racial tension in the United States when he said he is looking to get rid of a policy aimed at helping to desegregate suburbs .
`` At the request of many great Americans who live in the Suburbs , and others , I am studying the AFFH housing regulation that is having a devastating impact on these once thriving Suburban areas , '' Trump tweeted late Tuesday night .
`` Corrupt Joe Biden wants to make them MUCH WORSE .
Not fair to homeowners , I may END ! ''
The AFFH @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fair housing . ''
Former President Barack Obama established the policy in 2015 as an add on to the Fair Housing Act , a 1968 law that bans discrimination `` concerning the sale , rental , and financing of housing based on race , religion , national origin , sex , ( and as amended ) handicap and family status , '' according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development .
`` The AFFH rule sets out a framework for local governments , States , and public housing agencies ( PHAs ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patterns of segregation , promote fair housing choice , and foster inclusive communities that are free from discrimination , '' reads a HUD fact-sheet .
The Trump administration has been working to eliminate the AFFH rule — yet another one of Trump 's attempts to roll back Obama-era policy .
In 2018 , Trump 's HUD Secretary Ben Carson announced proposed changes to the rule , claiming it is `` suffocating investment in some of our most distressed neighborhoods . ''
Experts told NBC News in January that eliminating the rule could `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday night tweet about the fair housing policy comes as the United States is reckoning with its racist past , with Americans taking to the streets to demand racial justice following the murders of multiple Black Americans at the hands of white police officers .
Polls show Americans do n't support Trump 's handling of racism and inequality in the United States , helping lead to a precipitous decline in his standing with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
Trump has used violent rhetoric about the protests , and stood by as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House last month to clear a path for him to take a photo with a Bible .
Trump 's tweet also serves as a reminder of his own sordid history on racial discrimination , when he refused to rent apartments to Black tenants when he took on a larger role in his father 's real estate empire in New York .
A federal investigation in the 1970s found Trump 's company used codes to denote minorities on applications for housing , including `` C '' for `` colored , '' which then helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to properties with minorities .
In 1973 , the Department of Justice sued Trump Management for discrimination , which Trump later settled .
`` The same man who was sued by the DOJ for housing discrimination now wants to legalize housing discrimination , '' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted in response to Trump 's comments on the AFFH .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump once again fanned the flames of racial tension in the United States when he said he is looking to get rid of a policy aimed at helping to desegregate suburbs.
“At the request of many great Americans who live in the Suburbs, and others, I am studying the AFFH housing regulation that is having a devastating impact on these once thriving Suburban areas,” Trump tweeted late Tuesday night. “Corrupt Joe Biden wants to make them MUCH WORSE. Not fair to homeowners, I may END!”
The AFFH is an acronym for “affirmatively further fair housing.” Former President Barack Obama established the policy in 2015 as an add on to the Fair Housing Act, a 1968 law that bans discrimination “concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, sex, (and as amended) handicap and family status,” according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“The AFFH rule sets out a framework for local governments, States, and public housing agencies (PHAs) to take meaningful actions to overcome historic patterns of segregation, promote fair housing choice, and foster inclusive communities that are free from discrimination,” reads a HUD fact-sheet.
The Trump administration has been working to eliminate the AFFH rule — yet another one of Trump’s attempts to roll back Obama-era policy.
In 2018, Trump’s HUD Secretary Ben Carson announced proposed changes to the rule, claiming it is “suffocating investment in some of our most distressed neighborhoods.”
Experts told NBC News in January that eliminating the rule could “further racial discrimination.”
Trump’s Tuesday night tweet about the fair housing policy comes as the United States is reckoning with its racist past, with Americans taking to the streets to demand racial justice following the murders of multiple Black Americans at the hands of white police officers.
Polls show Americans don’t support Trump’s handling of racism and inequality in the United States, helping lead to a precipitous decline in his standing with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Trump has used violent rhetoric about the protests, and stood by as peaceful protesters were tear-gassed outside the White House last month to clear a path for him to take a photo with a Bible.
Trump’s tweet also serves as a reminder of his own sordid history on racial discrimination, when he refused to rent apartments to Black tenants when he took on a larger role in his father’s real estate empire in New York.
A federal investigation in the 1970s found Trump’s company used codes to denote minorities on applications for housing, including “C” for “colored,” which then helped them push Black and Puerto Rican applicants to properties with minorities.
In 1973, the Department of Justice sued Trump Management for discrimination, which Trump later settled.
“The same man who was sued by the DOJ for housing discrimination now wants to legalize housing discrimination,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted in response to Trump’s comments on the AFFH.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-06-30--24 times Susan Collins has been 'disappointed' by Donald Trump

Sen. Susan Collins ( R-ME ) has supported many of the Trump administration 's actions with her votes .
Meanwhile , at least 24 times she has indicated her displeasure with Donald Trump 's behavior in tweets and critical statements to the press .
Collins published an op-ed in the Washington Post in 2016 explaining why she was not going to vote for Trump for president , objecting to his racist attacks on a judge of Mexican American heritage , his mocking of people with disabilities , and his anti-Muslim attack on the parents of a U.S. Army captain who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since Trump took office , she has voted with him more than two-thirds of the time , according to FiveThirtyEight 's tracker .
She voted to give lifetime appointments to the vast majority of Trump 's 200 judicial appointees , including Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh .
She also backed the confirmation of Cabinet appointees such as Attorney General William Barr , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar .
She voted to acquit Trump in February during his impeachment trial , suggesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big lesson '' and `` would be more cautious in the future . ''
She later walked back that assessment , admitting it was `` more aspirational on my part . ''
Collins ' office did not respond to a request for comment for this story .
A review of Collins ' public statements finds at least 24 instances of her expressing concern , dismay , or disagreement with Trump .
• June 26 , 2020 : Collins issued a statement criticizing the Trump administration 's attempt to get the Supreme Court to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The Administration ’ s decision to submit this new brief is the wrong policy at the worst possible time as our nation is in the midst of a pandemic , '' she wrote .
`` The Affordable Care Act remains the law of the land , and it is the Department of Justice 's duty to defend it . ''
• June 14 , 2020 : Collins tweeted her objection to the Trump administration 's latest attack on LGBTQ people , a rule rolling back health care protections for the transgender community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to eliminate protections for transgender patients is simply wrong .
I 'll work to overturn this discriminatory policy , '' Collins said .
• June 9 , 2020 : Collins objected to Trump 's attempt to lift fishing restrictions in waters off the New England coast .
Noting other problems facing Maine 's fishing industry , Collins said in a statement : `` The federal government should direct its focus to resolving these challenges rather than reopening the debate over this national marine monument . ''
• June 2 , 2020 : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters forcibly removed from Lafayette Square for a photo opportunity .
`` To me , at a time like this , the president ought to be trying to calm the nation , pledge to right historic wrongs and be a steady influence .
I do n't think he was last night , '' she told reporters .
`` It was painful to watch peaceful protesters be subjected to tear gas in order for the president to go across the street to a church that I believe he 's attended only once . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted her objection to Donald Trump 's removal of State Department inspector general Steve Linick , who was reportedly investigating ethical violations by Pompeo .
Noting her work on a 2008 law reforming the inspectors general system , she wrote , `` The President has not provided the kind of justification for the removal of IG Linick required by this law . ''
• April 14 , 2020 : Collins criticized Trump 's handling of the coronavirus pandemic .
`` It 's been very uneven .
There are times when I think his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has really deferred to the public health officials who have been with him at these press conferences , '' she told Politico .
`` And then there are times when I think he 's been off message and has brought up extraneous issues .
So I think it 's been mixed . ''
• April 6 , 2020 : Collins criticized Trump 's removal of Michael Atkinson , inspector general for the intelligence community .
`` While I recognize that the President has the authority to appoint and remove Inspectors General , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community and the American people well , and his removal was not warranted , '' she said in a statement .
• March 13 , 2020 : Collins suggested that Trump should `` step back '' from his public response to the coronavirus , telling reporters , `` It is very important that health professionals be out front and that there be a consistent message '' and calling his administration 's messaging `` inconsistent . ''
• Feb. 7 , 2020 : As Trump removed or demoted multiple federal employees who testified against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one witness ' brother — Collins said she was against retaliation .
`` I obviously am not in favor of any kind of retribution against anyone who came forward with evidence , '' she told reporters , without specifically denouncing Trump 's actions .
• Feb. 4 , 2020 : Though she decided not to convict him of obstruction or abuse of power in the impeachment trial , Collins called Trump 's July 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky `` improper '' and `` far from perfect . ''
• Oct. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the impeachment proceedings against him as a `` lynching , '' Collins tweeted : `` 'Lynching ' brings back images of a terrible time in our nation 's history , and the President never should have made that comparison . ''
• Oct. 9 , 2019 : Collins criticized Trump 's decision to abruptly withdraw troops from the border area between Turkey and Syria in a pair of tweets .
`` On Monday , I said that President Trump 's decision to abandon the Kurds , our major ally in the fight against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she wrote .
`` Today , we are seeing the consequences of that terrible decision .
If the reports of Turkish strikes in Syria are accurate , I fear our allies the Kurds could be slaughtered . ''
• Oct. 5 , 2019 : After Trump asked China to investigate Joe Biden during a press availability , Collins objected .
`` I thought the president made a big mistake by asking China to get involved in investigating a political opponent , '' she told reporters .
`` It 's completely inappropriate . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted that she disagreed with Trump 's successful effort to get two congresswomen of color banned from visiting Israel .
`` Israel should allow U.S .
Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar to visit , '' she wrote .
`` The Trump Administration made a mistake in urging Israel to prevent them from entering the country . ''
• March 29 , 2019 : Collins joined a bipartisan group of senators criticizing a Trump administration proposal to increase work requirements for food assistance recipients .
`` The proposed changes would take food assistance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employment while doing nothing to help them to actually become permanently employed , '' she and Sen. Angus King ( I-ME ) said in a joint press release .
• Feb. 14 , 2019 : Collins objected to Trump 's decision to declare an `` emergency '' at the southern border to allow him to shift taxpayer dollars from defense projects to paying for his border wall .
`` Declaring a national emergency for this purpose would be a mistake on the part of the President , '' she said in a press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : After journalist Jamal Khashoggi was tortured and killed , Trump refused to blame the Saudi regime despite evidence pointing to its culpability .
Collins tweeted , `` It is a grave mistake for the President to ignore the CIA 's widely reported assessment on the Khashoggi murder .
If the President does not reconsider what actions our government should take toward the Saudi Government & [ Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ] , Congress must act instead . ''
• Oct. 3 , 2018 : When Trump publicly mocked Christine Blasey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault , Collins told reporters : `` The president 's comments were just plain wrong . ''
She would later vote to confirm Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court .
• July 18 , 2018 : After Trump openly supported Vladimir Putin 's claims that Russia had not meddled in the 2016 election — despite his own intelligence agencies ' findings — Collins tweeted her disagreement .
`` The Russians continue efforts to undermine Western democracies , including ours , '' she wrote .
`` The President is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from our Intelligence Community , including Dan Coats . ''
• July 16 , 2018 : Two days earlier , she tweeted , `` The President 's statements today in Helsinki demonstrate his continued refusal to accept the unanimous conclusions of U.S. intelligence leaders and the bipartisan findings of the Senate Intelligence Committee . ''
• Jan. 12 , 2018 : Collins objected to Donald Trump 's racist comments that fewer immigrants should be allowed from African nations because they are `` shithole countries . ''
`` These comments are highly inappropriate & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a bipartisan immigration agreement , '' she tweeted .
`` The President should not denigrate other countries . ''
• Nov. 30 , 2017 : At a Christian Science Monitor event , Collins said Trump 's hate speech was not constructive .
`` But do I think it 's helpful that he raises these conspiracy theories or puts out a tweet of an anti-Muslim video that turns out to not even be accurate ?
No , I do n't and I have n't hesitated to criticize the president when he does , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2017 : Collins said she did not agree with Trump 's claim that his Muslim travel ban was necessary for security .
`` I think that the travel ban is too broad and that is why it has been rejected by the courts , '' she said in an appearance on `` Face the Nation . ''
( In 2018 , the Supreme Court upheld the ban in a 5-4 ruling . )
• June 1 , 2017 : Collins tweeted her disappointment that Trump had decided to pull out of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Climate change requires a global approach .
I 'm disappointed in the President 's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement . ''
Collins has refused to say whether she will vote for Trump 's reelection .
But as she faces a tough reelection race herself this November , Collins — at least as of the end of last year — still had Trump 's support .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) has supported many of the Trump administration’s actions with her votes. Meanwhile, at least 24 times she has indicated her displeasure with Donald Trump’s behavior in tweets and critical statements to the press.
Collins published an op-ed in the Washington Post in 2016 explaining why she was not going to vote for Trump for president, objecting to his racist attacks on a judge of Mexican American heritage, his mocking of people with disabilities, and his anti-Muslim attack on the parents of a U.S. Army captain who had been killed in Iraq.
But since Trump took office, she has voted with him more than two-thirds of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight’s tracker. She voted to give lifetime appointments to the vast majority of Trump’s 200 judicial appointees, including Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. She also backed the confirmation of Cabinet appointees such as Attorney General William Barr, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.
She voted to acquit Trump in February during his impeachment trial, suggesting that he had learned a “pretty big lesson” and “would be more cautious in the future.” She later walked back that assessment, admitting it was “more aspirational on my part.”
Collins’ office did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
A review of Collins’ public statements finds at least 24 instances of her expressing concern, dismay, or disagreement with Trump.
June 26, 2020: Collins issued a statement criticizing the Trump administration’s attempt to get the Supreme Court to strike down Obamacare in its entirety. “The Administration’s decision to submit this new brief is the wrong policy at the worst possible time as our nation is in the midst of a pandemic,” she wrote. “The Affordable Care Act remains the law of the land, and it is the Department of Justice’s duty to defend it.” June 14, 2020: Collins tweeted her objection to the Trump administration’s latest attack on LGBTQ people, a rule rolling back health care protections for the transgender community. “The Trump Administration‘s decision to eliminate protections for transgender patients is simply wrong. I’ll work to overturn this discriminatory policy,” Collins said. June 9, 2020: Collins objected to Trump’s attempt to lift fishing restrictions in waters off the New England coast. Noting other problems facing Maine’s fishing industry, Collins said in a statement: “The federal government should direct its focus to resolving these challenges rather than reopening the debate over this national marine monument.” June 2, 2020: Collins criticized Trump’s decision to have protesters forcibly removed from Lafayette Square for a photo opportunity. “To me, at a time like this, the president ought to be trying to calm the nation, pledge to right historic wrongs and be a steady influence. I don’t think he was last night,” she told reporters. “It was painful to watch peaceful protesters be subjected to tear gas in order for the president to go across the street to a church that I believe he’s attended only once.” May 16, 2020: Collins tweeted her objection to Donald Trump’s removal of State Department inspector general Steve Linick, who was reportedly investigating ethical violations by Pompeo. Noting her work on a 2008 law reforming the inspectors general system, she wrote, “The President has not provided the kind of justification for the removal of IG Linick required by this law.” April 14, 2020: Collins criticized Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. “It’s been very uneven. There are times when I think his message has been spot on and he has really deferred to the public health officials who have been with him at these press conferences,” she told Politico. “And then there are times when I think he’s been off message and has brought up extraneous issues. So I think it’s been mixed.” April 6, 2020: Collins criticized Trump’s removal of Michael Atkinson, inspector general for the intelligence community. “While I recognize that the President has the authority to appoint and remove Inspectors General, I believe Inspector General Atkinson served the intelligence community and the American people well, and his removal was not warranted,” she said in a statement. March 13, 2020: Collins suggested that Trump should “step back” from his public response to the coronavirus, telling reporters, “It is very important that health professionals be out front and that there be a consistent message” and calling his administration’s messaging “inconsistent.” Feb. 7, 2020: As Trump removed or demoted multiple federal employees who testified against him during the impeachment trial — and one witness’ brother — Collins said she was against retaliation. “I obviously am not in favor of any kind of retribution against anyone who came forward with evidence,” she told reporters, without specifically denouncing Trump’s actions. Feb. 4, 2020: Though she decided not to convict him of obstruction or abuse of power in the impeachment trial, Collins called Trump’s July 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “improper” and “far from perfect.” Oct. 22, 2019: After Trump attacked the impeachment proceedings against him as a “lynching,” Collins tweeted: “‘Lynching’ brings back images of a terrible time in our nation’s history, and the President never should have made that comparison.” Oct. 9, 2019: Collins criticized Trump’s decision to abruptly withdraw troops from the border area between Turkey and Syria in a pair of tweets. “On Monday, I said that President Trump’s decision to abandon the Kurds, our major ally in the fight against ISIS, was terribly unwise,” she wrote. “Today, we are seeing the consequences of that terrible decision. If the reports of Turkish strikes in Syria are accurate, I fear our allies the Kurds could be slaughtered.” Oct. 5, 2019: After Trump asked China to investigate Joe Biden during a press availability, Collins objected. “I thought the president made a big mistake by asking China to get involved in investigating a political opponent,” she told reporters. “It’s completely inappropriate.” Aug. 15, 2019: Collins tweeted that she disagreed with Trump’s successful effort to get two congresswomen of color banned from visiting Israel. “Israel should allow U.S. Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar to visit,” she wrote. “The Trump Administration made a mistake in urging Israel to prevent them from entering the country.” March 29, 2019: Collins joined a bipartisan group of senators criticizing a Trump administration proposal to increase work requirements for food assistance recipients. “The proposed changes would take food assistance away from Americans struggling to find stable employment while doing nothing to help them to actually become permanently employed,” she and Sen. Angus King (I-ME) said in a joint press release. Feb. 14, 2019: Collins objected to Trump’s decision to declare an “emergency” at the southern border to allow him to shift taxpayer dollars from defense projects to paying for his border wall. “Declaring a national emergency for this purpose would be a mistake on the part of the President,” she said in a press statement. Nov. 25, 2018: After journalist Jamal Khashoggi was tortured and killed, Trump refused to blame the Saudi regime despite evidence pointing to its culpability. Collins tweeted, “It is a grave mistake for the President to ignore the CIA’s widely reported assessment on the Khashoggi murder. If the President does not reconsider what actions our government should take toward the Saudi Government & [Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman], Congress must act instead.” Oct. 3, 2018: When Trump publicly mocked Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, Collins told reporters: “The president’s comments were just plain wrong.” She would later vote to confirm Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. July 18, 2018: After Trump openly supported Vladimir Putin’s claims that Russia had not meddled in the 2016 election — despite his own intelligence agencies’ findings — Collins tweeted her disagreement. “The Russians continue efforts to undermine Western democracies, including ours,” she wrote. “The President is wrong and needs to heed the warnings from our Intelligence Community, including Dan Coats.” July 16, 2018: Two days earlier, she tweeted, “The President’s statements today in Helsinki demonstrate his continued refusal to accept the unanimous conclusions of U.S. intelligence leaders and the bipartisan findings of the Senate Intelligence Committee.” Jan. 12, 2018: Collins objected to Donald Trump’s racist comments that fewer immigrants should be allowed from African nations because they are “shithole countries.” “These comments are highly inappropriate & out of bounds and could hurt efforts for a bipartisan immigration agreement,” she tweeted. “The President should not denigrate other countries.” Nov. 30, 2017: At a Christian Science Monitor event, Collins said Trump’s hate speech was not constructive. “But do I think it’s helpful that he raises these conspiracy theories or puts out a tweet of an anti-Muslim video that turns out to not even be accurate? No, I don’t and I haven’t hesitated to criticize the president when he does,” she said. June 4, 2017: Collins said she did not agree with Trump’s claim that his Muslim travel ban was necessary for security. “I think that the travel ban is too broad and that is why it has been rejected by the courts,” she said in an appearance on “Face the Nation.” (In 2018, the Supreme Court upheld the ban in a 5-4 ruling.) June 1, 2017: Collins tweeted her disappointment that Trump had decided to pull out of a major international climate change agreement: “Climate change requires a global approach. I’m disappointed in the President’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.”
Collins has refused to say whether she will vote for Trump’s reelection.
But as she faces a tough reelection race herself this November, Collins — at least as of the end of last year — still had Trump’s support.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-06-30--McEnany claims 'rogue intelligence officers' might be out to get Trump

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed Tuesday , without evidence , that `` rogue intelligence officers '' are behind reports that Donald Trump knew about Russia offering bounties to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan .
`` These are rogue intelligence officers who are imperiling our troops ' lives , '' McEnany said at her press briefing .
Pressed by a reporter to clarify if she was truly alleging that members of the intelligence community `` are going after Trump , '' McEnany said , `` It very possibly could be . ''
Trump has frequently promoted a conspiracy theory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' is seeking to undermine his presidency .
REPORTER : Kayleigh , you said it was targeted leaking in the New York Times .
Who 's doing the targeting , and why are they doing it ?
KAYLEIGH McENANY : It 's a great question .
But these are rogue intelligence officers who are imperiling our troops ' lives .
We will not be able to get , very likely not be able to get a consensus on this intelligence .
Because of what was leaked to the New York Times and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and CIA all noting what damage this leaks does .
Not just to the safety of our troops , which is paramount , but to the ability of the United States to aggregate information from our allies and have assets and get this valuable information .
So who 's doing it ?
REPORTER : Members of the IC [ intelligence community ] are going after Trump ?
Is that what you 're saying ?
McENANY : It very possibly could be .
And if that 's the case , it is absolutely despicable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Independent Foundation .

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed Tuesday, without evidence, that “rogue intelligence officers” are behind reports that Donald Trump knew about Russia offering bounties to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
“These are rogue intelligence officers who are imperiling our troops’ lives,” McEnany said at her press briefing.
Pressed by a reporter to clarify if she was truly alleging that members of the intelligence community “are going after Trump,” McEnany said, “It very possibly could be.”
Trump has frequently promoted a conspiracy theory alleging that a widespread “deep state” is seeking to undermine his presidency.
From a June 30 White House press briefing:
REPORTER: Kayleigh, you said it was targeted leaking in the New York Times. Who’s doing the targeting, and why are they doing it? KAYLEIGH McENANY: It’s a great question. But these are rogue intelligence officers who are imperiling our troops’ lives. We will not be able to get, very likely not be able to get a consensus on this intelligence. Because of what was leaked to the New York Times and you have both the NSC, ODNI, and CIA all noting what damage this leaks does. Not just to the safety of our troops, which is paramount, but to the ability of the United States to aggregate information from our allies and have assets and get this valuable information. So who’s doing it? REPORTER: Members of the IC [intelligence community] are going after Trump? Is that what you’re saying? McENANY: It very possibly could be. And if that’s the case, it is absolutely despicable.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-06-30--Jacksonville implements safety rules Trump tried to avoid for GOP convention

Donald Trump upended planning for the Republican National Convention earlier this month when he moved part of the event to Jacksonville , Florida , from Charlotte , North Carolina , in order to avoid coronavirus safety regulations in the latter state .
At the time , North Carolina Gov .
Roy Cooper would not guarantee a full-capacity event , due to limits on gatherings resulting from the pandemic , and had required everyone in public indoor spaces in the city to wear face masks to stop the spread of the virus .
Trump announced the convention would be moved to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notice of the restrictions .
Republican officials announced earlier this month that part of the convention , namely Trump 's speech to accept the GOP nomination , would subsequently be moved to Jacksonville , which did not previously require the same kinds of safety measures as Charlotte .
However the city of Jacksonville said Monday it is now requiring face masks at all public and indoor locations , potentially upending Trump 's plan to show off a packed event with mask-less revelers .
The Jacksonville ordinance requiring masks comes after a major spike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven-day positivity average in Florida is 15.6 % , according to data from John 's Hopkins University , far higher than the 5 % positivity rate that public health experts say is safe to allow a phased reopening .
The Republican National Committee responded to the new requirement this week , saying it would follow all `` local health regulations in place at the time '' of the event , but noted that `` the event is still two months away . ''
The convention is currently scheduled to take place from Aug. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are planning to offer health precautions including but not limited to temperature checks , available P.P.E.
, aggressive sanitizing protocols , and available Covid-19 testing , '' RNC officials told the New York Times this week .
Trump has not yet commented publicly on the change in safety measures .
As cases increase , health experts say masks are a great way to slow the spread of the virus .
However Trump has so far refused to wear one himself .
And some Republicans have turned it into a partisan issue , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say they wo n't wear a mask either .
A Gallup poll from May 13 found 46 % of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said they never wear masks , while 49 % of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents said they always wear masks .
Few rally-goers at Trump 's campaign rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , earlier this month wore masks .
At least eight staffers at that event later tested positive for coronavirus , forcing the campaign to require all who attended the rally to get tested as well .
Holding Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risks to Trump 's reelection bid .
Multiple polls have found that Jacksonville residents do not want Trump to hold the event in their city .
According to a University of North Florida poll released on June 24 , 58 % of voters in Jacksonville do n't want the rally there , and 71 % say they fear the event could cause the virus to spread .
And angering Jacksonville residents could spell further trouble for Trump , who wants to keep Florida in his Electoral College column .
Jacksonville is located in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Trump won narrowly in 2016 .
The University of North Florida poll from June 24 found presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden leading Trump in the county , 48 % to 41 % .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump upended planning for the Republican National Convention earlier this month when he moved part of the event to Jacksonville, Florida, from Charlotte, North Carolina, in order to avoid coronavirus safety regulations in the latter state.
At the time, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper would not guarantee a full-capacity event, due to limits on gatherings resulting from the pandemic, and had required everyone in public indoor spaces in the city to wear face masks to stop the spread of the virus.
Trump announced the convention would be moved to a different city hours after Cooper gave notice of the restrictions.
Republican officials announced earlier this month that part of the convention, namely Trump’s speech to accept the GOP nomination, would subsequently be moved to Jacksonville, which did not previously require the same kinds of safety measures as Charlotte.
However the city of Jacksonville said Monday it is now requiring face masks at all public and indoor locations, potentially upending Trump’s plan to show off a packed event with mask-less revelers.
The Jacksonville ordinance requiring masks comes after a major spike in coronavirus cases in Florida.
The seven-day positivity average in Florida is 15.6%, according to data from John’s Hopkins University, far higher than the 5% positivity rate that public health experts say is safe to allow a phased reopening.
The Republican National Committee responded to the new requirement this week, saying it would follow all “local health regulations in place at the time” of the event, but noted that “the event is still two months away.”
The convention is currently scheduled to take place from Aug. 24 to Aug. 27.
“…We are planning to offer health precautions including but not limited to temperature checks, available P.P.E., aggressive sanitizing protocols, and available Covid-19 testing,” RNC officials told the New York Times this week.
Trump has not yet commented publicly on the change in safety measures.
As cases increase, health experts say masks are a great way to slow the spread of the virus.
However Trump has so far refused to wear one himself. And some Republicans have turned it into a partisan issue, with Republican voters now more likely to say they won’t wear a mask either.
A Gallup poll from May 13 found 46% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said they never wear masks, while 49% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents said they always wear masks.
Few rally-goers at Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, earlier this month wore masks. At least eight staffers at that event later tested positive for coronavirus, forcing the campaign to require all who attended the rally to get tested as well.
Holding Trump’s acceptance speech in Jacksonville could pose other risks to Trump’s reelection bid.
Multiple polls have found that Jacksonville residents do not want Trump to hold the event in their city.
According to a University of North Florida poll released on June 24, 58% of voters in Jacksonville don’t want the rally there, and 71% say they fear the event could cause the virus to spread.
And angering Jacksonville residents could spell further trouble for Trump, who wants to keep Florida in his Electoral College column. Jacksonville is located in the key swing county of Duval, which Trump won narrowly in 2016.
The University of North Florida poll from June 24 found presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden leading Trump in the county, 48% to 41%.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-06-30--Supreme Court says religious schools can get public funds

States ca n't cut religious schools out of programs that send public money to private education , a divided Supreme Court ruled Tuesday .
By a 5-4 vote with the conservatives in the majority , the justices upheld a Montana scholarship program that allows state tax credits for private schooling in which almost all the recipients attend religious schools .
The Montana Supreme Court had struck down the K-12 private education scholarship program that was created by the Legislature in 2015 to make donors eligible for up to $ 150 in state tax credits .
The state court had ruled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constitution 's ban on state aid to religious schools .
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion that said the state ruling itself ran afoul of the religious freedom , embodied in the U.S. Constitution , of parents who want the scholarships to help pay for their children 's private education .
`` A state need not subsidize private education .
But once a state decides to do so , it can not disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious , '' Roberts wrote .
In a dissent , Justice Sonia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
`` Without any need or power to do so , the Court appears to require a State to reinstate a tax-credit program that the Constitution did not demand in the first place , '' she said .
Parents whose children attend religious schools sued to preserve the program .
The high court decision upholds families ' rights `` to exercise our religion as we see fit , '' said Kendra Espinoza , the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit whose two daughters attend the Stillwater Christian School in Kalispell , Montana , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozen states have similar no-aid provisions in their constitutions .
Courts in some states have relied on those provisions to strike down religious-school funding .
Two states with existing private education programs , Maine and Vermont , could see quick efforts to force them to allow religious schools to participate .
Attorney General William Barr praised the ruling as `` an important victory for religious liberty and religious equality in the United States . ''
The Trump administration supported the parents ' Supreme Court appeal .
Advocates for allowing state money to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognized in its decision that parents should not be penalized for sending their children to schools that are a better fit than the public schools .
`` This opinion will pave the way for more states to pass school choice programs that allow parents to choose a school that best meets their child 's individual needs , regardless of whether those schools are religious or nonreligious , '' said Erica Smith , a senior attorney with the Institute for Justice , which represented the parents in their court fight .
But the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which counts more than 12,000 teachers and other school workers as union members , called the decision `` a slap in the face '' to its members and the communities they serve .
`` Today 's decision violates Montana 's commitment to public education , our children , and our constitution .
Extremist special interests are manipulating our tax code to rob Montana children of quality education while padding the pockets of those who run exclusive , discriminatory private schools , '' union president Amanda Curtis said .
In a separate concurring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence of anti-Catholic bigotry that he said motivated the original adoption of the Montana provision and others like it in the 1800s , although Montana 's constitution was redone in 1972 with the provision intact .
Justice Brett Kavanaugh , whose two daughters attend Catholic schools , made a similar point during arguments in January when he talked about the `` grotesque religious bigotry '' against Catholics that underlay the amendment .
The decision was the latest in a line of decisions from the Supreme Court , which now includes Trump appointees Neil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religion-based discrimination claims .
In 2014 , the justices allowed family-held for-profit businesses with religious objections to get out from under a requirement to pay for contraceptives for women covered under their health insurance plans .
In 2017 , the court ruled for a Missouri church that had been excluded from state grants to put softer surfaces in playgrounds .
The high court also is weighing a Trump administration policy that would make it easier for employers to claim a religious or moral exemption and avoid paying for contraceptives for women covered by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would shield religious institutions from more employment discrimination claims .
The Supreme Court also has upheld some school voucher programs , and state courts have ratified others .

States can’t cut religious schools out of programs that send public money to private education, a divided Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
By a 5-4 vote with the conservatives in the majority, the justices upheld a Montana scholarship program that allows state tax credits for private schooling in which almost all the recipients attend religious schools.
The Montana Supreme Court had struck down the K-12 private education scholarship program that was created by the Legislature in 2015 to make donors eligible for up to $150 in state tax credits. The state court had ruled that the tax credit violated the Montana constitution’s ban on state aid to religious schools.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion that said the state ruling itself ran afoul of the religious freedom, embodied in the U.S. Constitution, of parents who want the scholarships to help pay for their children’s private education. “A state need not subsidize private education. But once a state decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious,” Roberts wrote.
In a dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor described the ruling as “perverse.”
“Without any need or power to do so, the Court appears to require a State to reinstate a tax-credit program that the Constitution did not demand in the first place,” she said.
Parents whose children attend religious schools sued to preserve the program. The high court decision upholds families’ rights “to exercise our religion as we see fit,” said Kendra Espinoza, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit whose two daughters attend the Stillwater Christian School in Kalispell, Montana, near Glacier National Park.
Roughly three dozen states have similar no-aid provisions in their constitutions. Courts in some states have relied on those provisions to strike down religious-school funding.
Two states with existing private education programs, Maine and Vermont, could see quick efforts to force them to allow religious schools to participate.
Attorney General William Barr praised the ruling as “an important victory for religious liberty and religious equality in the United States.” The Trump administration supported the parents’ Supreme Court appeal.
Advocates for allowing state money to be used in private schooling said the court recognized in its decision that parents should not be penalized for sending their children to schools that are a better fit than the public schools.
“This opinion will pave the way for more states to pass school choice programs that allow parents to choose a school that best meets their child’s individual needs, regardless of whether those schools are religious or nonreligious,” said Erica Smith, a senior attorney with the Institute for Justice, which represented the parents in their court fight.
But the president of the Montana Federation of Public Employees, which counts more than 12,000 teachers and other school workers as union members, called the decision “a slap in the face” to its members and the communities they serve.
“Today’s decision violates Montana’s commitment to public education, our children, and our constitution. Extremist special interests are manipulating our tax code to rob Montana children of quality education while padding the pockets of those who run exclusive, discriminatory private schools,” union president Amanda Curtis said.
In a separate concurring opinion, Justice Samuel Alito pointed to evidence of anti-Catholic bigotry that he said motivated the original adoption of the Montana provision and others like it in the 1800s, although Montana’s constitution was redone in 1972 with the provision intact. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, whose two daughters attend Catholic schools, made a similar point during arguments in January when he talked about the “grotesque religious bigotry” against Catholics that underlay the amendment.
The decision was the latest in a line of decisions from the Supreme Court, which now includes Trump appointees Neil Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, that have favored religion-based discrimination claims. In 2014, the justices allowed family-held for-profit businesses with religious objections to get out from under a requirement to pay for contraceptives for women covered under their health insurance plans. In 2017, the court ruled for a Missouri church that had been excluded from state grants to put softer surfaces in playgrounds.
The high court also is weighing a Trump administration policy that would make it easier for employers to claim a religious or moral exemption and avoid paying for contraceptives for women covered by their health plans. Still another case would shield religious institutions from more employment discrimination claims.
The Supreme Court also has upheld some school voucher programs, and state courts have ratified others.