Federal judge sides with Idaho church in Blaine Amendment lawsuit

A federal judge ruled Sept. 22 that Truth Family Bible Church's First Amendment rights were violated when Sage International School canceled the church's lease, over concerns that it defied the Idaho Constitution's prohibition on aid to religious groups.

Chief U.S. District Court Judge David Nye's ruling concludes a lawsuit that spanned more than a year and tested the scope of Idaho's Blaine Amendment. One of dozens of "no-aid provisions" in state constitutions across the United States, the Blaine Amendment prohibits religious organizations from receiving taxpayer resources. For decades, it served as a roadblock to legislation that would subsidize religious schooling.