Today, the Supreme Court issued an opinion in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue that represents a big win for school choice advocates and for religious liberty. The case revolves around a tax credit given to individuals and businesses for contributions to an education scholarship program for private schools, including religious schools, and a rule promulgated by the Montana Department of Revenue forbidding the use of scholarships at religious schools.

Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Wyo.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) have introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2021 to create a database of beneficial owners of businesses with 20 or fewer employees. This amendment, which is based on the ILLICIT CASH Act, S. 2563, is similar to the Corporate Transparency Act, H.R. 2513. The Corporate Transparency Act, which FreedomWorks opposed, passed the House in October.

The House and Senate are in session this week.

Schedule: The House and Senate are in session this week.

The Senate is in session this week. The House is in recess.

The Senate is in session. The House is in recess.

The Supreme Court may soon decide whether to accept several cases related to qualified immunity, a purely legal doctrine with no basis in federal statute that shields federal, state, and local officials who claim a “good faith” defense from civil actions in federal court when an individual’s rights are violated. Although police officers most often cited as examples of government officials who receive qualified immunity, it may apply to any government official.

Schedule:

The House will be in session for two days this week. The Senate is in recess.

In the coming days, perhaps as soon as this week, the Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee could consider SB 3. This bill reforms Ohio’s sentencing laws for low-level, nonviolent offenses and focuses limited prison resources and severe, mandatory minimum sentences for drug traffickers. FreedomWorks supports this approach. States like Georgia and Texas have shown that a focus on recidivism reduction and drug treatment programs while reserving prison space for the worst offenders enhances public safety.