Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Politics

Appellate court sides with Amish community in religious freedom septic tank case

by July 11, 2023
July 11, 2023
Appellate court sides with Amish community in religious freedom septic tank case

Members of a deeply conservative Amish community in Minnesota don’t need to install septic systems to dispose of their ‘gray water,’ the state Court of Appeals ruled Monday in a long-running religious freedom case that went all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court.

A three-judge panel ruled that the government ‘failed to demonstrate a compelling state interest’ to justify overriding the religious freedom of the Amish families that challenged state regulations governing the disposal of gray water, which is water that’s been used for dishwashing, laundry, and bathing, but not toilet waste.

The Swartzentruber Amish in southeastern Minnesota are among the most traditional Amish groups in the country, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch noted in a 2021 ruling. It sent the case back to Minnesota courts for reconsideration in light of a high court decision a month earlier in a different religious freedom case. That ruling went in favor of a Philadelphia-based Catholic foster care agency that said its religious views prevented it from working with same-sex couples.

A Minnesota district court last September concluded that the government showed that it had a compelling state interest ‘of the highest order’ in requiring the Swartzentruber Amish to use septic tanks to protect groundwater supplies in the area. The families then appealed again. The Court of Appeals sided with them Monday, and sent the case back to the lower court for an order in favor of the Amish.

Fillmore County in 2013 started requiring homes to have modern septic systems to dispose of gray water. The Swartzentruber Amish sought an exemption, saying their religion prohibits that technology. They sued in 2017. For years they had discharged their gray water directly onto the ground. They offered instead to use mulch basins filled with wood chips to filter the water, as allowed in some other states, but the government argued that mulch basins would be ineffective.

The federal religious freedom law that was at issue in the Philadelphia case ‘prohibits governments from infringing sincerely held religious beliefs and practices except as a last resort,’ Gorsuch explained at the time, urging the Minnesota court and local authorities to swiftly resolve the dispute.

‘In this country, neither the Amish nor anyone else should have to choose between their farms and their faith,’ Gorsuch said.

The Court of Appeals noted that the Swartzentruber Amish use some technology, but don’t own or drive automobiles, and don’t use telephones, electric lights or modern flush toilets. They supply water to their homes from cisterns and have always prohibited septic systems.

<!–>

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
–>

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Monica Tranel announces bid for congressional seat, aims to challenge Rep. Ryan Zinke in 2024
next post
NYC should be held in contempt over appalling Rikers conditions, court-appointed monitor says

You may also like

Biden after annual physical says ‘everything’s great’

February 29, 2024

EXCLUSIVE: Trump-Endorsed Congressional Nominee Kelly Cooper Gives Updates...

November 4, 2022

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Rules Undated Mail-In Ballots Cannot...

November 2, 2022

Desperate Stacey Abrams Already Making Excuses, Stokes ‘Voter...

November 7, 2022

Abortion ‘on the ballot’ in 10 states this...

November 5, 2024

Protests Break Out in Iran After Regime’s “Morality...

September 18, 2022

Atlantic Writer Wants to “Declare a Pandemic Amnesty”...

November 2, 2022

Netanyahu gifts Fetterman a silver-plated beeper after he...

March 20, 2025

Indonesia Criminalizes Sex Outside of Marriage – Will...

December 8, 2022

Johnson warned against making ‘side deals’ with GOP...

May 8, 2024

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Trump’s Debanking Order Calls for Investigation, Something Tennessee Should Have Done

      August 9, 2025
    • The Ivy faces legal challenge from waiter over share of tips and service charges

      August 9, 2025
    • Smarter mining, more stable returns: RICH Miner launches convenient cloud mining app supporting XRP and BTC

      August 9, 2025
    • Sydney Sweeney jeans controversy making advertising great again

      August 9, 2025
    • Nagasaki mayor issues chilling warning on 80th anniversary of atomic bombing

      August 9, 2025
    • MIKE DAVIS: Eric Tung is Trump’s pick to bring sanity to the Ninth Circuit

      August 9, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,730)
    • Investing (2,191)
    • Politics (16,347)
    • Stocks (3,228)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved