<p>Two school board members in one of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/maine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maine&#8217;s</a> largest school districts are facing recall elections over their support for a controversial gender identity school policy.</p>
<p>Nearly 700 people signed a petition to remove board members Julia Lester and Sarah Otterson from the Oxford Hills School District school board, which includes Paris, Maine.</p>
<p>At an emergency meeting of the town of Paris&#8217; select board on Monday night, the board voted to put the issue to voters. The town of Paris will now decide whether the pair of school board members will lose their seats.</p>
<p>Lester and Otterson support the Oxford Hills (MSAD 17) district&#8217;s new proposed gender identity <a href="https://themainewire.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ACAAA-POLICY.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policy</a> that deals with student names and pronouns, parental notification, and bathroom and locker room usage.</p>
<p>Last month, the Oxford Hills school board voted to provisionally approve the gender identity policy. Twelve school board members including Lester and Otterson <a href="https://www.themainewire.com/2022/10/oxford-hills-school-approves-rules-to-keep-student-gender-identity-changes-secret-from-parents/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> to approve the policy, while seven members voted against the policy.</p>
<p>The new rules would require school administrators to hide a child&#8217;s new gender identity from their parents unless the student has given express approval for their parents to know.</p>
<p>&#8220;Parent notification shall be contingent on student approval with the exception of school records accessed and disclosed under FERPA,&#8221; the policy <a href="https://www.themainewire.com/2022/10/oxford-hills-school-approves-rules-to-keep-student-gender-identity-changes-secret-from-parents/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reads</a>.</p>
<p>School officials are also directed to coach students on how to make sure their parents do not find out about their new identity. For example, officials must inform students that changing their name and gender on official school records could reveal the change to their parents since parents have access to those records.</p>
<p>The policy also allows students to use whichever single-gender bathroom and locker room aligns with their gender identity.</p>
<p>The policy also requires that students be addressed by &#8220;the name and pronoun they request&#8221; by teachers, school staff, and other students.</p>
<p>If the policy goes into effect, it will apply to all 3,400 <a href="https://www.msad17.org/page/district-profile" target="_blank" rel="noopener">students</a> at all 10 schools in the Oxford Hills School District, which includes eight elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.</p>
<p>On Monday evening, some Paris select board members expressed their concerns with the new policy.</p>
<p>“I don’t want boys to be able to go into the girls room, and vice versa, and I have nothing against anybody who wants to live a certain lifestyle, I just don’t care. But I’d be worried if my grandchild was there, my little granddaughter and boys could go into the bathroom,” <a href="https://wgme.com/news/local/paris-to-hold-recall-election-for-school-board-members-who-support-gender-identity-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> select board member Scott McElravy.</p>
<p>The policy&#8217;s critics cited the parental notification part of the policy as a major problem.</p>
<p>“Two people on the board was promoting policies that interfered with a parent’s right to know. Us parents have had enough. That policy promoted secrecy,” said Armand Norton, who organized the recall petition.</p>
<p>“Parents are the first line of defense if something happens to the kid, the parents are responsible for them, not the school,” Norton said.</p>
<p>There is currently some <a href="https://www.wmtw.com/article/paris-select-board-accepts-petition-to-recall-school-board-members-over-gender-id-proposal/42043237#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legal confusion</a> around whether the town of Paris can remove school board members since the school district extends beyond Paris. Lester and Otterson represent Paris on the Oxford Hills School Board.</p>
<p>“If it is a law and it needs to be changed, maybe the town of South Paris is going to be the town to start changing things,” Norton said.</p>
<p>The recall election is <a href="https://www.wmtw.com/article/paris-select-board-accepts-petition-to-recall-school-board-members-over-gender-id-proposal/42043237#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected</a> to be held in January or February.</p>


Equality March In Krakow

Gender Identity School Policy Leads To Recall Elections For Maine School Board Members

Education

Elementary Schools

Gender

Gender Identity

High School

Maine

U.S.

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A 24-year-old man in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/maine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maine</a> purchased a 700-year-old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/christianity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christian</a> Medieval-era document for only $75 after visiting an estate sale looking for kitchen equipment. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The man, Will Sideri, went to an estate sale in Waterville this month looking for a cake mixer but ended up purchasing a page from a  Christian liturgy book that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">historians</a> believe originated in Beauvais, France during the 13th century. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sideri purchased the leaf, which was labeled at the sale as an &#8220;illuminated manuscript on vellum&#8221; from 1285, <a href="https://www.themainemonitor.org/looking-for-a-cake-mixer-finding-a-medieval-manuscript-in-waterville/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Maine Monitor, which first reported the story. The actual value of the document is estimated to be worth up to $10,000, far more than what Sideri purchased it for. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He says that he is not planning on selling the document and will keep it at his parent&#8217;s home for now. &#8220;This is something at the end of the day that I know is cool,&#8221; he <a href="https://apnews.com/article/oddities-entertainment-music-religion-3162da2fed026abbdf5820e72f11e523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;I didn’t buy this expecting to sell it.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> He also looks forward to having something &#8220;vintage&#8221; to hang on his wall. &#8220;I have something very vintage. Like 1285 vintage,&#8221; Sideri said. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to Sideri, he believed that the document was legitimate and reached out to Megan Cook, who had been his professor at Colby College. &#8220;I have a question for you. I think this might be real,’&#8221; he texted her alongside a photo of the manuscript. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;I said, &#8216;wow, that looks familiar,'&#8221; Cook said she told her former student. After contacting his former professor, Sideri left the sale to get a check to purchase the historic page.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cook <a href="https://twitter.com/meganlcook/status/1568223508907364352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1568223508907364352%7Ctwgr%5E5b14783a7cd47455a3991dc985886295d89761de%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.themainemonitor.org%2Flooking-for-a-cake-mixer-finding-a-medieval-manuscript-in-waterville%2F">said</a> on Twitter that she compared Sideri’s leaf with one held by Colby College, noting that the white vellum from Sideri’s leaf had been remarkably preserved in part because it had been framed since the 1940s. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The page contained Latin texts that priests would use during prayer liturgy, said Lisa Fagin, a professor at Simmons University in Boston who was contacted by Cook about the find. Fagin is also the executive director of the Medieval Academy of America. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She said that the page was taken from a missal, a Christian liturgy book, that had once been owned by New York businessman William Randolph Hearst, who ran a large newspaper empire. After Hearst sold the missal, individual pages were taken out and sold to artifact collectors, disseminating the ancient manuscripts throughout the country.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In an effort to digitally reconstruct the liturgy book, Davis has <a href="https://brokenbooks2.omeka.net" target="_blank" rel="noopener">created</a> an online website where she works to compile images of the various pages that have been discovered around the country. Originally 309 pages, Davis has found 114 of the manuscript pages, the Maine Monitor reported. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This stuff just shows up at the craziest places,’’ Davis said, referring to her efforts to locate the contents of the original book. </span></p>
<p><strong>RELATED:</strong> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rare-find-woman-picked-up-2000-year-old-roman-artifact-for-35-at-thrift-store"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Story Of How A 2,000 Year Old Roman Artifact Ended Up In A Texas Goodwill</span></a></p>


Spain, Mallorca, Library in monastery, Valldemossa, Ancient manuscript

Maine Man Purchases Rare 700-Year-Old Christian Document For Incredible Bargain

Christian

History

<p>An environmental watchlist angered fishers, and even state political leaders when it &#8220;red listed&#8221; Maine lobsters.</p>
<p>Seafood Watch, an environmental watchlist maintained by the Monterey Bay Aquarium in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a>, placed American lobsters caught in the Gulf of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/maine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maine</a> and the Georges Bank, as well as others caught in the seas off of northwestern Canada, on its &#8220;red list&#8221; of seafoods to avoid buying. Seafood Watch claimed that lobster fishing equipment is harming the critically endangered population of North Atlantic right whales, which get tangled in the fishing gear.</p>
<p>&#8220;American lobster caught in the U.S. Atlantic (Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank fishery) with pots is an Avoid,&#8221; <a href="https://www.seafoodwatch.org/recommendation/lobster/american-lobster-19701?species=127">Seafood Watch</a> said. &#8220;This fishery poses a risk to overfished or at-risk species, including endangered North Atlantic right whales. Entanglement in fishing gear is the leading cause of serious injury and death to North Atlantic right whales.&#8221;</p>
<p>The list went on to claim that &#8220;current management measures do not go far enough to mitigate entanglement risks and promote recovery of the species. [Lobster] Pots typically have fewer impacts on habitat, but the cumulative effects of large-scale fishing are likely underestimated. Some measures to protect the ecosystem have been implemented, but stronger policies are needed to protect American lobster&#8217;s role in the food web.&#8221;</p>
<p>Lobster pots are fishing gears that are set on the seafloor or in underwater using vertical lines, usually attached to a buoy. According to the <a href="https://www.pressherald.com/2022/09/06/seafood-sustainability-group-red-lists-lobster/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Portland Press-Herald</a>, fishers use pots or similar gears for catching 14 different species, including the Jonah crab and Gulf of Maine flounder, which have also been &#8220;red-listed.&#8221; Right whales have been known to get caught in the lines, causing serious injury and even death. The Press-Herald reports that less than 340 North Atlantic right whales are alive today.</p>
<p>The Seafood Watch project partners with a number of major restaurants, distributors, and grocery stores; it currently maintains major partnerships with food services distributor Aramark, Bon Appetit magazine, The Cheesecake Factory restaurant chain, and Whole Foods grocery stores. Buyers for these companies use the Seafood Watch listings to influence purchasing decisions and menu selections, often avoiding red-listed seafood, the Press-Herald reported.</p>
<p>Industry groups and restaurateurs blasted the decision.</p>
<p>“Lobster is one of the most sustainable fisheries in the world due to the effective stewardship practices handed down through generations of lobstermen,” Maine Lobsterman’s Association executive director Patrice McCarron told the Press-Herald. “These include strict protections for both the lobster resource and right whales.”</p>
<p>A spokesman for the Red Lobster restaurant chain said that the specific cause of the whale deaths remains uncertain, but deaths from Maine fisheries have declined significanlty. &#8220;Thus, we find it misleading to suggest to consumers that avoiding Maine lobster would benefit whale preservation efforts,&#8221; Red Lobster told the Press-Herald.</p>
<p>The move also caught the ire of political leaders in Maine.</p>
<p>&#8220;Today&#8217;s decision by Seafood Watch to &#8216;Red List&#8217; Maine lobster is simply absurd and flies in the face of common sense,&#8221; Senator <a href="https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/statement-from-senator-king-on-absurd-seafood-watch-designation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Angus King</a> (I-ME) said in a statement Tuesday. &#8220;The Maine lobster industry – one of our state&#8217;s most important economic drivers and a source of pride – has long been committed to environmentally conscious, sustainable fishing.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;There hasn’t been a whale entanglement attributed to Maine lobster gear since 2004 and no documented right whale death has ever been attributed to Maine lobster gear,&#8221; he added.</p>
<p>&#8220;Consumers and businesses must see through this list and recognize that lobstermen are partners in conservation and sustainability and that the delicious Maine lobster can and should continue to be enjoyed,&#8221; Governor <a href="https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/news/governor-mills-slams-seafood-watchs-attack-maine-lobster-industry-2022-09-06" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Janet Mills</a> (D-ME) added.</p>


Iconic New England Lobster Caught In Global Tariff Tit-For-Tat

Fishers, Restaurateurs, Even A U.S. Senator Up In Arms After Maine Lobsters Placed On Environmentalist ‘Red List’

Fishers, Restaurateurs, Even A U.S. Senator Blast Environmental Watchlist 'Red-Listing' Maine Lobsters

Animals

Environmentalism

Fish

<p><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/country-music" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Country superstar</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Luke Combs stopped in the middle of his </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">performance</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Friday night to call out two young fans who worked hard to earn money to buy concert tickets. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Combs was on his “Middle of Somewhere” tour at a stop in Bangor, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Maine</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, when he spotted the two fans in the crowd holding a sign that said, “We made $100 bucks stacking 5 cords of wood, bought two Luke Combs tickets. Man, he sounds good.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Our Dads swore it was a waste of time, oh but they were wrong. Today&#8217;s my 12th birthday, oh Lord when it rains it pours.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Per the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11184497/Luke-Combs-stops-concert-two-fans-140-learning-stacked-firewood-buy-tickets.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the 32-year-old “Beautiful Crazy” singer stopped the show, read the signs out loud, and then offered the boys money from his own pocket to refund the cost of tickets. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“OK I&#8217;ve got a question for y&#8217;all,” Combs said after sitting down on the stage. “How much were your tickets? $100? Y&#8217;all made $100? $200? $100 apiece? Oh my God, I only got $140 right here. Y&#8217;all want that, pay yourselves back. I&#8217;ll get you some more.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The lucky concertgoers also got signed hats from the musician and were invited to hang out backstage after the show.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I prayed for it to happen. I hoped. I prayed, and it happened,” Bo Fenderson, 12, told <a href="https://www.wabi.tv/2022/09/04/hard-work-pays-off-luke-combs-rewards-young-maine-fans-who-attended-bangor-show/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WABI TV5 </a></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">in an interview. He explained that his mother was trying to teach the boys about hard work and responsibility.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The concert was brought up and it was an immediate hard yes,” Bo’s mom, Desiree, explained. “But the tickets were pricey so it was, ‘Well we can take you, but you know, think about what you just did, and earned, and you know if you guys could buy your own tickets, we could make it happen.’ And they said, ‘Yes,’ and I think it was a great lesson for both of them; for all of them.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Hard work pays off,” Bo’s friend, Tanner, agreed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bo said Combs told him backstage, “The two most important things in life are hard work and kindness.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He’s a great role model to take the time and do that, and really acknowledge what they did,” Desiree said of the experience. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It wasn’t just Luke, it was the rest of the staff too that made it happen and made it a point to come find us and the boys and fulfill that promise that he made to them. I think for all of the sisters, the cousins, and the friends that they all learned a valuable lesson.”</p>
<p></span></p>


CMA Fest 2022 – Day 3

‘Hard Work Pays Off’: Luke Combs Stops Concert, Repays Two Young Fans Who Stacked Wood To Earn Money For Tickets

Luke Combs Stops Concert, Repays Two Young Fans Who Stacked Wood To Earn Money For Tickets

Celebrities

Country Music

Entertainment

Music

<p>According to a new report, Department of Homeland Security Secretary <a href="http://dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-call-on-mayorkas-to-use-available-technologies-to-slow-border-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alejandro Mayorkas</a> is more than 2,200 miles away from the United States&#8217; <a href="http://dailywire.com/news/northern-border-state-with-a-southern-border-problem-montana-reeling-as-fentanyl-seizures-skyrocket/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">southern border</a>, yet only 55 miles away from <a href="http://dailywire.com/news/dhs-ready-to-end-trump-era-remain-in-mexico-border-policy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mexico</a>.</p>
<p>How can that be? Mayorkas is reportedly vacationing in South Casco, Maine, a town 2.5 hours away from Mexico, Maine.</p>
<p>It would appear Mayorkas is enjoying his time at the lake while America&#8217;s invasion at the southern border continues unabated.</p>
<p>&#8220;A source tells me DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas is currently on vacation in South Casco, Maine while the border crisis continues to get worse and worse every day,&#8221; The Daily Caller&#8217;s Henry Rodgers tweeted Tuesday morning. &#8220;He had security surrounding him at a picnic tonight. Yet, our border is being flooded with drugs and criminals.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">NEW: A source tells me DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas is currently on vacation in South Casco, Maine while the border crisis continues to get worse and worse every day. He had security surrounding him at a picnic tonight. Yet, our border is being flooded with drugs and criminals.</p>
<p>&mdash; Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) <a href="https://twitter.com/henryrodgersdc/status/1564410788278063104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Rodgers&#8217; assessment of the border is accurate.</p>
<p>Since October 2021, border authorities have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-press-secretary-on-illegal-immigration-its-not-like-somebody-walks-over-actually-millions-do" target="_blank" rel="noopener">apprehended</a> 66 illegal aliens on the terror watch list. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has had nearly 4.9 million encounters with illegal aliens — including an estimated 900,000 who snuck into the country undetected — since President Joe Biden took office.</p>
<p>On Tuesday, Fox News reported that Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz testified under oath that Biden&#8217;s policies are to blame for the increase in illegal immigration.</p>
<p>Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is suing DHS and the Biden administration over what she contends are immigration policies that flout federal law.</p>
<p>During a July deposition, Ortiz <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/border-patrol-chief-says-border-crisis-caused-bidens-no-consequences-policies-illegal-migrants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> that he believes illegal immigrants increasingly come to the U.S. when there are &#8220;no consequences.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;So, if migrant populations believe that they&#8217;re going … there are not going to be consequences, more of them will come to the border. Is that what you&#8217;re saying?&#8221; questioned the attorney.</p>
<p>&#8220;There is an assumption that if migrant populations are told that there is a potential that they may be released, that, yes, you can see increases,&#8221; he responded.</p>
<p>The attorney then asked,  &#8220;So, it will increase at an exponential rate. Is that what is being suggested here?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Well, I do think it will increase, yeah,&#8221; he answered.</p>
<p>It is unlikely that Mayorkas will see Ortiz&#8217;s comments anytime soon— the man is allegedly on vacation after all.</p>
<p>Perhaps Mayorkas can make a pit stop in Portland, Maine if he&#8217;s visiting the Pine Tree State. He doesn&#8217;t need to travel all the way to the southern border to see the ramifications of Biden&#8217;s open border nightmare — he can just look at Maine&#8217;s largest city.</p>
<p>In April, Portland <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maines-largest-city-in-dire-situation-due-to-unprecedented-volume-of-migrants-arriving-from-southern-border">announced</a> it was in a &#8220;dire situation&#8221; due to the “unprecedented” number of individuals arriving from the southern border.</p>
<p>It might be news to Portland that Mayorkas claimed in July that the border is &#8220;secure.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Look, the border is secure,&#8221; Mayorkas <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mayorkas-claims-southern-border-secure-historic-migrant-crisis-rages" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> over the summer. &#8220;We are working to make the border more secure. That has been a historic challenge.&#8221;</p>
<p>If this is what a secure border under Biden looks like, can you imagine what an open border would look like?</p>
<p><em>The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.</em></p>


Mayorkas

Report: Biden’s Homeland Security Chief Is On Vacation While Illegal Immigrant Invasion Continues Unabated

Report Claims Biden's Homeland Security Chief Is On Vacation While Illegal Immigrant Invasion Continues Unabated

Alejandro Mayorkas

Border

<p><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/maine">Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)</a> blasted the Biden administration for failing to secure the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/southern-border">southern border</a> while allowing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fentanyl">fentanyl</a> to pour into the country, resulting in tens of thousands of overdose deaths in America.</p>
<p>During a hearing titled, &#8220;Fighting Fentanyl: The Federal Response to a Growing Crisis,&#8221; Collins proclaimed, &#8220;We have to face the very unpleasant truth that what we&#8217;re doing is not working.&#8221;</p>
<p>In late December 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fentanyl-deaths-skyrocket-becoming-nations-leading-killer-for-adults-age-18-45">announced</a> that fentanyl overdoses had become the number one cause of death for U.S. adults aged 18-45, as nearly 79,000 Americans died from the drug between 2020 and 2021.</p>
<p>Collins blamed the growing problem directly on the Biden administration not providing border patrol enough resources to crack down on illegal immigration and drug trafficking at the U.S.-Mexico border.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve been to the border with Mexico,&#8221; she <a href="https://www.medpagetoday.com/psychiatry/addictions/99911?xid=nl_mpt_morningbreak2022-07-27&amp;eun=g2042099d0r&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=MorningBreak_072722&amp;utm_term=NL_Gen_Int_Daily_News_Update_active">said</a> during the hearing.&#8221;I&#8217;ve talked with the Border Patrol officers out on their midnight shift, and they&#8217;ve expressed such frustration that they have had to divert their resources to handling the tremendous influx of people crossing the border, rather than focusing on illicit drug interdiction.&#8221;</p>
<p>In March 2021, Collins visited the southern border with a group of colleagues and said they heard members of drug cartels from across the river throughout the night.</p>
<p>&#8220;This has been truly extraordinary. It&#8217;s midnight. We&#8217;re on the banks of the Rio Grande and across the river, we can hear the sounds of cartel members, taunting us, yelling at us. They&#8217;re exploiting vulnerable women and children,&#8221; Collins <a href="https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/politics/maine-sen-susan-collins-to-visit-us-mexico-border/97-df60fc81-650c-4d52-a164-c9b42505cf21">said</a> at the time. &#8220;This system is inhumane. It&#8217;s dangerous.&#8221;</p>
<p>On Tuesday, Collins stated, &#8220;So I cannot help but conclude that our inability to secure the border has an adverse impact and contributes directly to our inability to stop the flow of drugs into this country.&#8221;</p>
<p>Collins noted that the fentanyl crisis had particularly hit her state hard over the past year.</p>
<p>&#8220;The data overwhelmingly demonstrate [that], whether you look at national data, or data from the state of Maine,&#8221; she stated.&#8221;Last year, fentanyl was involved in 77% of deadly overdoses in Maine. That&#8217;s a dramatic increase,&#8221; she continued.</p>
<p>Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) also pleaded with the Biden administration to clamp down on the border.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have to recognize that a policy at the border which has been feckless and ineffective &#8230; not just allows people to come here who are illegal immigrants — it allows drugs to come across as well,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve got to control that border. If there&#8217;s a message I wish the administration to get, it&#8217;s use your tools to control it,&#8221; Cassidy added.</p>
<p>Much of the fentanyl that flows through America&#8217;s borders is from Mexican drug cartels, the federal government has previously stated. “Sinaloa and the New Generation Jalisco (Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación or CJNG) cartels are likely the primary trafficking groups responsible for smuggling fentanyl into the United States from Mexico,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/DEA_GOV_DIR-008-20%20Fentanyl%20Flow%20in%20the%20United%20States_0.pdf">according</a> to a January 2020 Drug Enforcement Agency report.</p>
<p>Former Attorney General William Barr also <a href="https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/newsmaxtv-billbarr-mexicancartels/2022/07/22/id/1080025/">recently blasted</a> President Joe Biden and his administration because they have &#8220;essentially abandoned the border&#8221; to the drug cartels.</p>
<p>Appearing on Newsmax, Barr told Greta Van Susteren that the Biden administration’s strategy against illicit international criminal organizations is not working.</p>
<p>“They are effectively terrorist organizations,” Barr claimed. “They are increasingly building their connections with terrorists. Their paramilitary can take on the Mexican military, and they have so much money they can corrupt any system.”</p>
<p>Barr added, “The United States [has been] relegated to working through Mexico to try to deal with the cartels, and I think that’s a losing proposition.”</p>
<p>The former attorney general declared that these nefarious actors should be treated “more like ISIS and less like the mafia.”</p>
<p>For the Biden administration&#8217;s part, Kemp Chester, a senior advisor for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said on Tuesday that the government needs to expand its capability to stop drugs from new and unique access points.</p>
<p>&#8220;What we have to do is very quickly identify when we have new vulnerabilities, when the traffickers have changed the way that they do business, and close those gaps and vulnerabilities as quickly as we possibly can,&#8221; Chester <a href="https://www.medpagetoday.com/psychiatry/addictions/99911?xid=nl_mpt_morningbreak2022-07-27&amp;eun=g2042099d0r&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=MorningBreak_072722&amp;utm_term=NL_Gen_Int_Daily_News_Update_active">said</a>. &#8220;And that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re in the process of doing right now.&#8221;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


Susan Collins

Susan Collins Blasts Open Borders Biden Admin For Fentanyl Crisis

Susan Collins Blasts Biden Admin For Fentanyl Crisis

Biden Admin

<p>On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the government cannot ban taxpayer-funded tuition assistance for private education from being used by citizens for private religious education.</p>
<p>In the case <em>Carson v. Makin</em>, SCOTUS ruled 6-3 along ideological lines that the state of Maine&#8217;s tuition assistance program, which barred guardians from using the funds for private religious education, was unconstitutional as it violated the First Amendment.</p>
<p>&#8220;BREAKING: U.S. Supreme Court just ruled in a 6-3 decision that preventing school choice families from taking their children&#8217;s taxpayer-funded education dollars to religious private schools violated the Free Exercise Clause of the 1st Amendment,&#8221; school choice proponent Corey DeAngelis tweeted.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: U.S. Supreme Court just ruled in a 6-3 decision that preventing school choice families from taking their children&#39;s taxpayer-funded education dollars to religious private schools violated the Free Exercise Clause of the 1st Amendment.</p>
<p>&mdash; Corey A. DeAngelis (@DeAngelisCorey) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeAngelisCorey/status/1539256454594674688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts opined, &#8220;Maine’s &#8216;nonsectarian&#8217; requirement for its otherwise generally available tuition assistance payments violates the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;In short, the prohibition on status-based discrimination under the Free Exercise Clause is not a permission to engage in use-based discrimination,&#8221; Roberts added.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Chief Justice Roberts (Carson v Makin, 2022): &quot;In short, the prohibition on status-based discrimination under the Free Exercise Clause is not a permission to engage in use-based discrimination.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Oi3CvjKxR8">pic.twitter.com/Oi3CvjKxR8</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Corey A. DeAngelis (@DeAngelisCorey) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeAngelisCorey/status/1539258055430443014?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Prior to oral arguments last spring, SCOTUS Blog <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2021/12/separation-of-church-and-school-justices-will-weigh-maines-ban-on-funds-for-religious-education/">explained</a> that the case was brought by two families who wanted &#8220;to send their children to Christian schools in the state&#8221; and asked for the help of Maine&#8217;s tuition assistance program. Those plaintiffs argued &#8220;that the state’s exclusion of schools that provide religious instruction from the program violates the Constitution.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Although the justices’ ruling will directly affect fewer than 5,000 students in Maine, the court’s eventual decision could have a significant impact on public funding for religious education well beyond the state’s border,&#8221; SCOTUS Blog also noted.</p>
<p>For its part, Maine argued that allowing tax dollars to go toward private schools, such as certain Christian schools, could trample upon the idea that “a public education is both defined by inclusion and tolerance, and reflective of the diversity of our students and our community.”</p>
<p>SCOTUS Blog noted that one of the schools in question hired only born-again Christians and had an anti-LGBTQ educational agenda, and as a result, the state was not required  to “fund their educational program as the substantive equivalent of a public education.”</p>
<p>The Supreme Court disagreed with those arguments. Now, supporters of parents&#8217; rights, religious freedom, and school choice see the victory as monumental in its potential ramifications across the country.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is huge. Now is the time for universal school choice.</p>
<p>&mdash; Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) <a href="https://twitter.com/realchrisrufo/status/1539266715854446592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><strong><em>This is a developing story: please check for back updates.</em></strong></p>


Screen Shot 2022-06-02 at 1.46.37 PM

Supreme Court Rules Maine Can’t Ban Taxpayer-Funded Tuition Assistance From Being Used Toward Religious Private Education

In Makin v. Carson, Supreme Court Rules Maine Can't ban Taxpayer Tuition Assistance From Being Used Toward Religious Education

SCOTUS

Supreme Court

<p>Maine has begun sending eligible residents a one-time, $850 relief check to combat inflation, but critics of the effort say it is a &#8220;short-term trick&#8221; that will not help the Pine Tree State&#8217;s economy.</p>
<p>CBS 13 <a href="https://wgme.com/news/local/mainers-can-now-check-when-youll-get-your-850-relief-payment-maine-revenue-services-inflation-maine-department-of-administrative-and-financial-services-taxes">reported</a> on Wednesday that the state would spend nearly $730 million from its surplus budget to send approximately 858,000 checks to residents across the state. The checks will be mailed beginning this month on a rolling basis, with the last round expected to be delivered in October 2022.</p>
<p>A statement from Maine Democratic Governor Janet Mills&#8217; office <a href="https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/relief-checks">noted</a> that &#8220;Maine people are grappling with the increased costs as a result of pandemic-driven inflation, ranging from higher energy costs to increased prices of everyday goods.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;While the Governor cannot control the impact of COVID-19 on global markets, she can make sure that we deliver to Maine people the resources they need to deal with these higher costs,&#8221; her office continues.</p>
<p>While Mills may blame what she decries as &#8220;pandemic-driven inflation,&#8221; experts have noted that federal government relief checks were a significant cause of the rising prices that Americans across the country are currently facing.</p>
<p>&#8220;The current bout of inflation stems from massive spending: in 2020 and 2021, the government spent the equivalent of 27% of GDP on &#8216;Covid relief&#8217; and &#8216;stimulus,&#8217; the <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/us-covid19-fiscal-response/?utm_source=Tax+Foundation+Newsletters&amp;utm_campaign=74fbe498cb-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_10_17_07_28_COPY_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_8387957ec9-74fbe498cb-429700478&amp;mc_cid=74fbe498cb&amp;mc_eid=aa69ab4bd2">second-largest fiscal response</a> as a percentage of GDP of any industrialized nation,&#8221; Paige Terryberry Senior Analyst for Fiscal Policy with the John Locke Foundation <a href="https://www.johnlocke.org/government-spending-is-the-cause-of-not-the-antidote-for-record-inflation/">wrote</a> in January.</p>
<p>On Monday, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americans-changing-the-way-they-buy-groceries-as-inflation-soars-study-finds">reported</a>, “Prices for food at home increased 10.8%, the largest 12-month percentage increase since the period ending November 1980,&#8221; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics&#8217; Consumer Price Index report.</p>
<p>“Prices for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs increased 14.3%, the largest 12-month percentage increase since a 19.5%increase in May 1979,&#8221; BLS <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americans-changing-the-way-they-buy-groceries-as-inflation-soars-study-finds">added</a>. &#8220;Prices for other major grocery store food groups also rose over the past year, with increases ranging from 7.8 percent for fruits and vegetables to 11.0 percent for other food at home.&#8221;</p>
<p>In an email sent to The Daily Wire, Maine Policy Institute, a conservative think tank, remarked that it has offered several alternative solutions to combat inflation that would not increase government spending.</p>
<p>&#8220;Between last June, when the updated revenue projections came in, and this spring, when lawmakers were working out the supplemental budget, we advocated strongly for using the projected surplus for structural tax reform, including helping to draft a bill which would have reworked what&#8217;s known as the &#8216;revenue cascade&#8217; to pare down income, sales, and fuel tax rates as greater revenues come in,&#8221; said Nick Murray, director of policy with Maine Policy. &#8220;We also proposed consolidating income tax brackets and cutting rates for all taxpayers, using about as much projected revenue as the &#8220;relief&#8221; checks will ultimately cost.</p>
<p>In December 2021, the organization spoke out against sending checks to Mainers, <a href="https://mainepolicy.org/new-revenue-surplus-should-prompt-real-tax-reform/">saying</a> that the state &#8220;needs radical tax reform to drive long-term, structural economic growth.&#8221;</p>
<p>Likewise, the Maine Policy Institute has warned that the one-time payments would only provide temporary relief that might be used toward a bill but would not do anything to keep up with inflation in the long term.</p>
<p>&#8220;Many Mainers might see the direct payments as covering some of their yearly heating bills or some of the recent spikes in their power bills, but inflation is still accelerating in all parts of the economy, although some more than others,&#8221; the group <a href="https://mainepolicy.org/lawmakers-miss-opportunity-for-meaningful-tax-reform-in-pursuing-one-time-relief-checks/">wrote</a> in March 2022. &#8220;The annual change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is up 8%, but energy prices are up over 25%. Gasoline prices remain at historic highs, though below the 2008 spike in real terms.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Precisely because the inflation we are experiencing is ongoing, and still accelerating, more cash in everyone’s pockets will not slow the growth of prices,&#8221; the group predicted.</p>
<p>Maine Policy has also <a href="https://mainepolicy.org/systemic-tax-relief-is-better-than-one-time-gimmicks/">said</a> that &#8220;lawmakers should be wary of policy that uses short-term tricks versus spurring long-term growth. There is no substitute for a healthy economy, and no measure of giveaways can stimulate the real growth that requires saving, investment, and time to create significant value.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Citizens who want a growing economy instead of a stagnant one must constantly keep up the pressure on politicians who would rather look to easy gimmicks than transformational reform,&#8221; Maine Policy noted in June 2021 in reference to relief checks.</p>
<p>On the other hand, Governor Mills&#8217; office <a href="https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/relief-checks">insists,</a> &#8220;These payments are meant to help in navigating rising costs due to global inflation and supply-chain impacts, and other global economic disruptions driven by the pandemic. The payments are a one-time infusion into Maine families and will position Maine’s economy for continued post-pandemic prosperity.&#8221;</p>
<p>Mainers must have filled out a 2021 tax return and meet specific salary requirements to be eligible.</p>


Maine Flag

Maine Sending Out $730 Million Worth Of ‘Relief Checks’ To Fight Inflation

Maine Sending Out $850 'Relief Checks' To Eligible Pine Tree State Residents To Fight Inflation

COVID

Economics

Economy

Inflation

<p>Portland, Maine, has reinstated its COVID-19 mask mandate for public schools in the city amidst rising cases of the virus in the Pine Tree State.</p>
<p>On Thursday, school kids in Maine&#8217;s largest city had to put masks back on while indoors and on buses after Superintendent Xavier Botana notified the school district of the change earlier this week. Students had temporarily stopped wearing masks in March.</p>
<p>&#8220;I understand how disappointing this change may be to many of you who stopped wearing a mask when masking became optional on March 14 at a time of low case counts,&#8221; Botana <a href="https://wgme.com/news/local/portland-schools-reinstate-mask-mandate-due-to-high-covid-19-transmission-rates">said</a> in a statement. &#8220;However, I cautioned at that time that if our school and community data changed, we might need to increase our mitigation strategies, including returning to masking in some schools or district wide.&#8221;</p>
<p>Families who chatted with local media — while somewhat supportive of the measures — seemed rather glum about the prospect of having to see their loved ones don a face mask again.</p>
<p>“What a bummer,&#8221; David Saili, a brother of a middle school student in the district, <a href="https://wgme.com/news/local/families-react-to-portland-school-district-bringing-back-mask-mandate">told</a> CBS 13. &#8220;That&#8217;s all I can say, really, it&#8217;s so messed up. You know we cannot see people&#8217;s smiles anymore.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;If the professionals you know, people that are doctors, if they tell us that we have to wear a mask, then we have to. I believe it would be foolish of us to fight back or retaliate,&#8221; Saili <a href="https://wgme.com/news/local/families-react-to-portland-school-district-bringing-back-mask-mandate">added</a>. &#8220;Even if we don&#8217;t like it, it has to be done.&#8221;</p>
<p>Saili also added this his sister has trouble breathing while wearing the face-covering.</p>
<p>&#8220;She says that she has trouble breathing sometimes, you know. It will be hard especially now that it&#8217;s going to get hot. She can&#8217;t even hear someone properly,” Saili said.</p>
<p>One parent agreed wholeheartedly with the school district&#8217;s decision.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think anything that&#8217;s good for the country, that&#8217;s good for people&#8217;s safety and life. I agree with that,” Roosevelt Stennett, a Portland School District parent, <a href="https://wgme.com/news/local/families-react-to-portland-school-district-bringing-back-mask-mandate">told</a> the media.</p>
<p>Still, even Stennett appears to be longing for days of normalcy.</p>
<p>“It&#8217;s crazy. Like it&#8217;s very crazy,&#8221; Stennett said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know. But I hope sometime we could get, get it done, get rid of it, or something you know?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;This is now a time of high transmission, but few people in our schools are wearing masks. Adding to the risk is the fact that end-of-year ceremonies and other gatherings are taking place,&#8221; Botana claimed. &#8220;While we are not recommending changes to these events, all these factors make a return to required masking the safest course at this time.”</p>


Face mask

Maine’s Largest City Reinstates Public School Mask Mandates

Portland, Maine, Reinstates Mask Mandate For Public School Children

Face Masks

Mask Mandate

Public Schools

<p>A Democratic city council member in Portland, Maine, has ignited controversy as his local coffee shop reportedly sells a disturbing sticker that reads &#8220;Abort Republicans.&#8221;</p>
<p>The information was first shared by the Post Millennial that chronicled the city&#8217;s <a href="https://www.portlandmaine.gov/1877/Andrew-Zarro-District-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">4th district council member</a>, Andrew Zarro, and his controversial stickers.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">A city council member who also owns a small business is selling stickers that say “Abort Republicans” <a href="https://t.co/fzBWWAIiNj">pic.twitter.com/fzBWWAIiNj</a></p>
<p>— Libs of Tik Tok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1478456662423846914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p>In addition to a sticker that read &#8220;Abort Republicans,&#8221; the Little Woodfords coffee shop has also promoted stickers that read &#8220;defund god,&#8221; &#8220;thank you for making me a godless heaux,&#8221; and &#8220;Are we sluts.&#8221;</p>
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<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXT6SerLYC3/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by @littlewoodfords</a></p>
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<p>The message appears to be a strong contrast to the coffee shop&#8217;s claim in another poster that emphasizes inclusion and diversity.</p>
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<p>Zarro&#8217;s website at <a href="https://andrewzarro.com/meet-andrew/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AndrewZarro.com</a> says he &#8220;lives in Back Cove with his Partner TJ Zarro and their two dogs Gene and Albus. He owns Little Woodfords, a coffee shop that successfully operated in Woodfords Corner for almost three years, gaining lots of love and recognition locally and nationally.&#8221;</p>
<p>It added, &#8220;He recently moved the shop to Downtown Portland after the rent was increased beyond what a small business could afford during the COVID19 global pandemic.&#8221;</p>
<p>Among his campaign priorities was to &#8220;commit my candidacy to inclusion and diversity, excluding no one.&#8221;</p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.pressherald.com/2020/10/07/two-vie-for-the-district-4-seat-on-the-portland-city-council/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Press Herald</a> article during his run for the city council in 2020 highlighted his candidacy against Rosemary Mahoney:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>Both support the Black Lives Matter movement, including calls to defund the police and address systemic racism. Both believe that local police forces should be demilitarized and more funding and attention should be used to address underlying issues such as homelessness, substance use disorder and mental illness.</em></p></blockquote>
<p>Zarro ran on a platform of &#8220;kindness and compassion&#8221; in his 2020 run, as the report also noted:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>“I feel like I’m bringing some new ideas and perspective,” Zarro said, adding “and just a little kindness and compassion, which is heavily in need at the moment and meeting people where they’re at and saying at the end of the day, ‘We can disagree, but we’re still going to bump into each other at Hannaford and we need to be nice to each other.’ ”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>In addition to the controversial stickers, Zarro&#8217;s Little Woodlands coffee shop has been <a href="https://deleciousfood.com/portland-coffee-shop-vaccine-clinic-draws-big-crowd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> for &#8220;a pop-up vaccination clinic for COVID-19 and flu vaccines&#8221; as recently as December.</p>
<p>The &#8220;Abort Republicans&#8221; stickers were also reported on as the Supreme Court considers two important abortion-related cases. The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-abortion-advocates-react-to-supreme-courts-texas-abortion-law-decision" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> concerning a Texas abortion-restriction bill decision being considered by the Supreme Court:</p>
<blockquote>
<p class="p1"><em>Texas’ Heartbeat Act effectively outlaws abortion after the sixth week of pregnancy, when fetal cardiac activity can be detected. As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-rejects-abortion-providers-request-to-stay-texas-heartbeat-law"><span class="s1">reported</span></a>, “The Texas law allows citizens to sue abortion providers and those who ‘aid and abet’ illegal procedures for a financial reward if the lawsuit is successful.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The court is also considering a Mississippi law that could change abortion laws nationwide. The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-abortion-advocates-react-to-supreme-court-abortion-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p class="p1"><em>The Mississippi law bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. But under court precedent, states essentially have to allow a woman to be able to get an abortion up to the point of viability, which most states hold at around 20 to 24 weeks of pregnancy.</em></p>
<p class="p1"><em>If the Supreme Court chooses to uphold the Mississippi law, the precedent could be severely undermined — and abortion advocates have responded accordingly.</em></p>
</blockquote>


Andrew Zarro

‘Abort Republicans’: Dem City Council Member’s Coffee Shop Sells Disturbing Stickers

Abortion

Democratic Party

Republicans

<p class="p2">On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments concerning a case out of Maine that has to do with a tuition assistance program that does not include religious schools.</p>
<p class="p2">Justice Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts appeared to question the criteria of how the state decides which schools should be excluded or included in the program.</p>
<p class="p2">Alito asked:</p>
<blockquote>
<p class="p2"><i>Well, suppose that a &#8212; a school is affiliated with a religious group and they say, we do infuse our religious beliefs into all aspects of the community, but our salient &#8212; our salient religious beliefs are that all people are created equal and that nobody should be treated &#8212; should be subjected to any form of invidious discrimination and that everybody is worthy of respect and should be treated with dignity and that everybody has an obligation to make contributions to the community and engage in charitable work, those are our religious beliefs and we don&#8217;t &#8212; we don&#8217;t really have any dogma, but these are principles that we think our students should keep in mind, consistent with the religious outlook of our community. Would that school be disqualified?</i></p>
</blockquote>
<p class="p2">Christopher C. Taub, arguing on behalf of the state, answered, “So, I mean, that would be very close to a public school. Public schools often have a set of values that they want to instill: public service, be kind to others, be generous. I think what &#8212; what &#8212; what the defining feature or what &#8212; or &#8212; or what would make the difference is &#8212; is whether children are being taught that your religion demands that you do these things, that &#8212; that your religion demands…”</p>
<p class="p2">Alito countered, “Well, then you really are discriminating on the basis of religious belief. What I described is, I think, pretty close to Unitarian Universalism, isn&#8217;t it? And that is a &#8212; that is a religious community. So that would be okay. That religious community is okay. They can have a school that inculcates students with their beliefs because those are okay religious beliefs, but other religious beliefs, no. Isn&#8217;t that &#8212; is that what Maine is doing?”</p>
<p class="p2">Taub responded, in part, “I can&#8217;t sit here and &#8212; and tell you whether or not the Department of Education would approve a Unitarian school. We would just have to know more information about what their curriculum is and &#8212; and how they&#8217;re teaching it.”</p>
<p class="p2">Alito stated, “Well, unless you can say that you would treat a Unitarian school the same as a Christian school or an Orthodox Jewish school or a Catholic school, then I think you&#8217;ve got a problem of discrimination among religious groups.”</p>
<p class="p2">After the exchange, Taub also noted, “And I think that most people, you know, would believe that Unitarianism is a religion. It &#8212; it might be not be premised on the existence of a supreme being, but I think most people would &#8212; would agree that Unitarianism is a kind of religion. I might be wrong about that, but &#8212; but I think that Unitarianism is commonly considered a religion. And so, if that is the case, then &#8212; then a school that is promoting Unitarian beliefs would not be eligible for the program.”</p>
<p class="p1">


4E210CFA-6ED7-4C67-B0AA-26BF714CCB82_1_201_a

Justice Alito Questions Criteria For Maine Excluding Religious Schools From Tuition Program

<p class="p1">On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments regarding a case out of Maine that concerns two intense topics of debate &#8212; religious freedom and school choice &#8212; and the court seemed unsure about a school tuition program in Maine that specifically bars sectarian schools.</p>
<p class="p1">According to <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Carson_v._Makin"><span class="s1">Ballotpedia</span></a>, the case is called <i>Carson v. Makin </i>and concerns a program created by the Maine State Legislature, which provided tuition assistance for students to go to private or public schools either outside or inside of Maine. “Private schools labeled as sectarian by the state were not approved for funding,” the outlet noted.</p>
<p class="p1">Initially, a U.S. district court sided with the state of Maine. Parents had gone to federal court and &#8220;argued that the exclusion of religious schools from Maine’s tuition-assistance program likewise violates the free exercise clause,&#8221; per <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2021/12/separation-of-church-and-school-justices-will-weigh-maines-ban-on-funds-for-religious-education/">SCOTUS Blog</a>.</p>
<p class="p1">According to <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2021/12/separation-of-church-and-school-justices-will-weigh-maines-ban-on-funds-for-religious-education/"><span class="s1">SCOTUS Blog</span></a>, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1<span class="s2"><sup>st</sup></span> Circuit &#8220;<strong><span class="s3">rejected</span></strong> the parents’ challenge to the Maine program,” stating that the Maine law “does not bar schools from receiving funding simply based on their religious identity.”</p>
<blockquote>
<p class="p1"><i>Instead, the court of appeals explained, the exclusion examines “what the school teaches through its curriculum and related activities,” and the law prohibits schools from receiving funding because of the “religious use” to which they would put the funds. The law, the court of appeals concluded, “merely reflects Maine’s refusal to subsidize religious exercise.”</i></p>
</blockquote>
<p class="p1">Two sets of parents took the case to the Supreme Court in hopes of getting it reviewed. The high court agreed to hear the case earlier this year.</p>
<p class="p1">The <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/20/20-1088/168134/20210204140045165_Petition%20for%20Writ%20of%20Certiorari.pdf"><span class="s1">question</span></a> presented to the court by the petitioners was:</p>
<blockquote>
<p class="p1"><i>Does a state violate the Religion Clauses or Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution by prohibiting students participating in an otherwise generally available student-aid program from choosing to use their aid to attend schools that provide religious, or “sectarian,” instruction?</i></p>
</blockquote>
<p class="p1">The case also involves precedent from a 2020 decision on <i>Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, </i>wherein the “Court held that a state may not exclude families and schools from participating in a student-aid program because of a school’s religious <i>status</i>.” However, the petitioners stated that the court “acknowledged, but did not resolve, the question of whether a state may nevertheless exclude families and schools based on the religious <em>use</em> to which a student’s aid might be put at a school.”</p>
<p class="p1">As <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/08/politics/supreme-court-maine-religious-schools/index.html"><span class="s1">reported</span></a> by CNN after the arguments were heard on Wednesday, the Supreme Court seemed unsure about the Maine program that bars specific religious schools from the project.</p>
<p class="p1">“Conservative justices such as Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh suggested that if a state makes the choice to provide a public benefit, it can&#8217;t exclude schools based on the fact that they teach the curriculum through the lens of faith,” the outlet noted.</p>
<p class="p1">Michael Bindas, arguing on behalf of the petitioners, <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2021/20-1088_bp7c.pdf"><span class="s1">told the court</span></a> on Wednesday, “Maine&#8217;s sectarian exclusion discriminates based on religion. Like all discrimination based on religion, it should be subjected to strict scrutiny and held unconstitutional unless Maine can show that it is necessary to achieve a compelling government interest.”</p>
<p class="p1">Justice Stephen Breyer explained his concern in getting involved in a case concerning religious freedom and schooling.</p>
<p class="p1">Breyer said, “And what&#8217;s worrying me is &#8212; is that if the school &#8212; if the state must give money to the schools, they&#8217;re going to get into all kinds of religious disputes. … And religious beliefs, of course, are &#8212; are very sincere and held very strongly. And so there was a reason why this Court&#8217;s cases have said we do not want to get into a situation where the state is going to pay for the teaching of religion by religious &#8212; you know, practicing religious organizations, and &#8212; and that seems to me to stick its head up in a lot of different aspects of this case.”</p>
<p class="p1">Bindas noted, “This program does not fund schools. And if religious schools were allowed to participate, it does not fund schools. It funds families.”</p>
<p class="p1">At one point, Justice Neil Gorsuch asked, “So religious schools are forbidden regardless whether or not they&#8217;re going to participate?”</p>
<p class="p1">Bindas answered, “Solely because they are religious.”</p>
<p class="p1">Christopher C. Taub argued on behalf of the state, explaining, “The reason that schools that promote a particular faith are not eligible to participate is simple. Maine has determined that, as a matter of public policy, public education should be religiously neutral. This is entirely consistent with this Court&#8217;s holdings that public schools must not inculcate religion and should instead promote tolerance of divergent religious views.”</p>
<p class="p1">Toward the end of the arguments, Justice Brett Kavanaugh pointed out the position of the religious families who wished to send their children to a specific school. Kavanaugh said, “&#8230; [A]s I understand it, they are seeking equal treatment, not special treatment. They&#8217;re &#8212; they&#8217;re saying don&#8217;t treat me worse because I want to send my children to a religious school rather than a secular school. Treat me the same as the secular parent next door. I think that&#8217;s what they are asking for, is equal treatment.”</p>
<p class="p1">U.S. Deputy Solicitor General Malcolm Stewart, who spoke in support of the state, said, “they are certainly characterizing what they are asking for as equal treatment. But Maine&#8217;s view and our view is they are seeking a benefit different from the one that Maine is willing to provide.”</p>
<p class="p1">


08F54B57-4412-44B7-B1DE-8FB25EE3D25E_1_201_a

Justices Question Maine Tuition Program That Excludes Religious Schools

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