Supreme Court sides with Catholic charity in religious-rights case over unemployment taxes

The Supreme Court has handed down a unanimous ruling in a religious rights case, finding a Catholic charity in Wisconsin can’t be required to pay unemployment taxes when other religious groups are exempt. The Catholic Charities Bureau said the state violated the First Amendment’s religious freedom guarantee when it required the organization to pay the tax while exempting other faith groups. Wisconsin argued the organization doesn’t qualify for an exemption because its day-to-day work doesn’t involve religious teachings. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty represented the charity and heralds Thursday's ruling as a major victory. Critics say treating religiously affiliated nonprofits the same as other nonprofits doesn't violate the First Amendment.