Justices cite ‘standing’ in church-state disputes

After the U.S. Supreme Court ended its 2010–2011 term in late June,
legal scholars specializing in church-state issues are saying a Court
decision issued in the spring is likely to resonate in First Amendment
debates for years to come.

On April 4, the justices rejected a
challenge to an Arizona school tuition credit program that largely
benefits religious schools, saying taxpayers did not have legal grounds
to challenge a tax credit as government spending.

At the heart of
the decision was an arcane yet essential legal term—"standing," or a
plaintiff's right to sue. Critics say the Court increasingly relies on
standing to dismiss church-state challenges without addressing the
merits of the complaints.