Issues
Areas & Categorization
This report identifies four areas of public policy in each state that affect religious equality: Constitutional & Nondiscrimination Protections, Special Privileges for Religion, Health Care & Wellness, and Education & Youth.
Within each category, laws and policies that positively and negatively impact religious equality are listed along with a brief explanation of the topic.
Constitutional & Nondiscrimination Protections
These protections form the bedrock of our religious freedom by ensuring both that everyone is entitled to their beliefs and that no one’s beliefs are favored by the government. They are meant to ensure that the government treats everyone equally, regardless of their religious affiliation or lack thereof.
Special Privileges for Religion
Many states have laws that privilege religious organizations and religious beliefs. Such measures exempt individuals, groups, or businesses from particular legal requirements that conflict with their religious beliefs. Most states have created special privileges for religious organizations and places of worship, allowing them to avoid taxes or other legal requirements that apply to other types of nonprofits.
Health Care and Wellness
For decades, religious extremists and their lawmaker allies have sought to impose their beliefs through limitations on health care. After overturning decades of precedent protecting access to abortion, Christian nationalist lawmakers are now able to fully legislate their regressive agenda, revoking civil rights that Americans had long thought secured.
Education and Youth
The bulk of negative legislation sought by white Christian nationalists targets schools and youth. These efforts seek to enshrine revisionist history into the law, conflate founding documents with religious ones, teach the bible in a devotional manner in schools, and require the display of religious messages and symbolism in schools.
Future Categories
This report differs from the previous edition in that it includes additional criteria as well as some modified assessments of previous criteria. We intend to continue to iterate upon this report periodically in order to provide a useful resource for advocates and lawmakers. Some issues we are considering for future inclusion are:
Laws that prevent religious coercion from state-mandated substance use disorder programs
Restrictions on hospital mergers
State funding for crisis pregnancy centers
Separation of religion and government in prison and re-entry programs
Laws that mandate vaccination exemptions in daycare, health care facilities, or the workplace
Laws that limit health care access for trans adults
Mandatory Ten Commandments displays in public schools
State regulation of health care sharing ministries
Broad religious exemptions that apply to third-party legal claims
Laws to prevent religious coercion by employers
Laws that prohibit book bans