006: The Supreme Court’s Next Religion Case Could Gut the Social Safety Net

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In this episode of One Nation, Indivisible, host Andrew Seidel is joined by Elizabeth Cavell, Deputy Legal Director at the Freedom From Religion Foundation, to break down a major Supreme Court case that could reshape religious exemptions in the U.S. At the center: whether Catholic Charities Bureau should be exempt from Wisconsin’s unemployment insurance system based on its religious affiliation.

Seidel and Cavell explore the history of unemployment insurance in Wisconsin, the legal and constitutional arguments at play, and how this case fits into a broader strategy by religious liberty advocacy groups like the Beckett Fund. They also critique the justices’ questions during oral arguments and consider the potential ripple effects on social safety nets and church-state separation.

• Elizabeth Cavell, Deputy Legal Director at the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Elizabeth received her B.A in English from the University of Florida in 2005. After college, Elizabeth spent a year as a full-time volunteer in AmeriCorps*NCCC. She attended Tulane University Law School and received her Juris Doctor in 2009. After law school, she worked as a deputy public defender in southern Colorado. She joined the Foundation as a staff attorney in January 2013, after working for the Foundation part-time since September 2012. Elizabeth became Deputy Legal Director in April 2024.
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