High Court ruling protects religious freedom

I would like to applaud the U.S. Supreme Court on their recent ruling protecting religious freedom. The court ruled 7-2 that a cross memorializing World War I veterans could remain on public property in Maryland despite the objections of the American Humanist Association, an atheist group. The AHA argued that the memorial discriminated against non-Christians in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s establishment clause. If the court had ruled differently, many other crosses across the country that served as war memorials may have had to be moved as well.

Billington

I am elated that the nation’s highest court has finally checked the relentless efforts of the far-left in their quest to remove all religious references and monuments from public spaces.

Justice Samuel Alito issued the majority opinion, writing that “for nearly a century, the Bladensburg Cross has expressed the community’s grief at the loss of the young men who perished, its thanks for their sacrifice, and its dedication to the ideals for which they fought… its removal or radical alteration at this date would be seen by many not as a neutral act but as the manifestation of a hostility toward religion that has no place in our establishment clause traditions.”

I couldn’t agree more.

This case is just another example of how legal threats are used as weapons to intimidate local governments and other groups, often using unnamed and unaccountable plaintiffs. To combat this practice, my House colleagues overwhelmingly supported my bill this session to ban anonymous lawsuits involving the separation of church and state.

During the 2019 session, the Missouri General Assembly approved legislation meant to help veterans who find themselves on the wrong side of the law because of mental illness or addiction to alcohol and drugs. The bill will help ensure every circuit court in the State of Missouri will have at least one veterans treatment court in its jurisdiction.

Treatment courts utilize an intensive program of court supervision, drug or alcohol testing, and rehabilitation to help defendants overcome substance abuse, mental, emotional, or behavioral issues and keep them from re-offending. Veterans treatment courts specifically focus on those who have served or currently serve in the military. Many of their needs, including drug testing, utilize the Veterans Administration’s services.

House Bill 547 requires that all circuit courts establish a treatment court division by Aug. 28, 2021. The bill also states that it is the public policy of the state to encourage and provide an alternative method for the disposal of cases for military veterans and current military personnel with substance use disorders, mental health disorders, or co-occurring disorders. The bill also specifies that veterans who have been in combat would be given preference by courts in determining whether to have their cases handled by a veterans court.

The bill is currently on the governor’s desk awaiting his signature to become law.

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Hardy Billington represents the 152nd District. Contact him at hardy.billington@house.mo.gov or by calling 573-751-4039.