Archives: RLUIPA Round-Up

A weekly run through of recent religious land use disputes and other matters involving local government and religion throughout the country.

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RLUIPA Round-Up

By Derek Valentine on Posted in RLUIPA Round-Up
  What do tiny homes, marijuana, a sex club, the Satanic Temple, and yoga have in common? They each make an appearance in this installment of the RLUIPA Round-Up! A Nashville United Methodist Church’s plan to construct a tiny home village for the homeless recently received approval from the Metro Zoning Board of Appeals. Despite … Continue Reading

RLUIPA Round Up

By Karla Chaffee and Evan Seeman on Posted in RLUIPA Round-Up
The recent confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch has brought renewed attention to the often blurry line between the courts, government and individual religious liberty. Gorsuch wrote a concurring opinion in the 10th Circuit’s Hobby Lobby decision, which established that a closely held corporation may refuse to provide health insurance coverage that offers certain … Continue Reading

Nashville Islamic Center Claims Tax Rules Impose Unfair Burden

By Karla Chaffee, Evan Seeman, John Peloso and Dwight Merriam on Posted in Establishment Clause, First Amendment, Religious Freedom Restoration Act, RLUIPA Round-Up
Guest Post by Tavo T. True-Alcala The Islamic Center of Nashville (ICN) recently filed a federal complaint and request for declaratory judgment against the State of Tennessee, the Metropolitan Trustee of Nashville, and the Tennessee State Board of Equalization after it was denied a request for retroactive property tax relief. Since 1995, ICN has operated a religious … Continue Reading

RLUIPA Round-Up

By Evan Seeman, Karla Chaffee and Dwight Merriam on Posted in RLUIPA Round-Up
We noted in our previous post that the U.S. Department of Justice, in its latest report, has stated that one of the biggest trends in religious land use disputes since 2010 has been the drastic increase in disputes involving mosques and Islamic schools.  Below are some of the latest religious land use controversies from around … Continue Reading

RLUIPA Round-Up (Thanksgiving Edition)

By Karla Chaffee, Evan Seeman, Dwight Merriam and John Peloso on Posted in RLUIPA Round-Up
Many view Thanksgiving week as a time for reflection and gratitude.  Whether looking forward to the next turkey or reminiscing about the last, take some time for our semi-regular summary of news items involving local government, religion, and land use—the round-up: The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, in Trapp v. Commissioner of the Department of Corrections, … Continue Reading

Bike Lanes, Jedi, Medicine Men, Cowboys and More: This Week’s RLUIPA Round-Up

By Karla Chaffee, Evan Seeman, Dwight Merriam and John Peloso on Posted in RLUIPA Round-Up
What is Religious Exercise? remains a prevalent question in religious land use news this week.  Below, find our semi-regular summary of news items involving local government, religion, and land use. A District of Columbia church, the United House of Prayer, recently claimed that plans to designate a protected bike lane in front of its place … Continue Reading

RLUIPA Round-Up

By Evan Seeman, Karla Chaffee and Dwight Merriam on Posted in RLUIPA Round-Up
Below are news items from the past week involving local government, religion, and land use that may be of interest to our readers. The New York Times reports that the Ten Commandments monument on the Oklahoma Capitol grounds has been removed following the State Supreme Court’s decision that the monument violated the Oklahoma Constitution (prior … Continue Reading

RLUIPA Round-Up

By Evan Seeman, Karla Chaffee and Dwight Merriam on Posted in RLUIPA Round-Up
Below are news items from the past week involving local government, religion, and land use that have caught our attention. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York has issued a Memorandum and Order on the parties’ cross-motions for summary judgment in Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York v. … Continue Reading

RLUIPA Round-up

By Karla Chaffee on Posted in RLUIPA Round-Up
Unfortunately it’s time to say goodbye to the last true week of summer.  But RLUIPA Defense is happy to say hello to fall with another edition of the Round-Up! According to the San Francisco Chronicle, despite an initial denial of the Crossing church’s request, Pike County, Washington will likely rezone a former pellet plant from … Continue Reading

RLUIPA Round-UP

By Evan Seeman on Posted in RLUIPA Round-Up
We’ve been monitoring news items involving local government, religion, and land use that may be of interest to our readers.  Below is what has caught our attention. Livingston Daily reports that Genoa Charter Township has replied to a religious school’s emergency motion for a preliminary injunction in a RLUIPA suit in Michigan – Livingston Christian … Continue Reading

RLUIPA Round-Up

By Karla Chaffee and Evan Seeman on Posted in RLUIPA Round-Up
After a brief summer hiatus, RLUIPA Defense is back with another edition of the Round-Up.  What better way to kick things off than with news about the Satanic Temple of Detroit, which recently unveiled “The Satanic Temple Baphomet monument” at an approximately 700-person party in Detroit, Time reports. According to the Satanic Temple’s website: “The Satanic … Continue Reading

RLUIPA Round-Up

By Evan Seeman, Karla Chaffee and John Peloso on Posted in Establishment Clause, First Amendment, Religious Exercise, RLUIPA Round-Up
Here are news items involving local government, religion, and land use that have caught our attention. Religion Clause Blog reports that Indiana’s First Church of Cannabis is using the state’s recently enacted religious freedom law to protect its founder and two members from prosecution for possession of marijuana. The Church alleges that cannabis is the … Continue Reading

RLUIPA Round Up – Independence Day Special Edition!

By Karla Chaffee, Evan Seeman, John Peloso and Dwight Merriam on Posted in RLUIPA Round-Up
Independence Day—no better time to reflect on the numerous (enumerated and unenumerated) rights protected by our United States Constitution. Thanks to Obergefell v. Hodges, those rights are now more clearly focused. However, as reported below, it appears that a battle may be brewing between the right to marriage and religious exercise.  In the spirit of … Continue Reading

RLUIPA Round-Up

By Evan Seeman, Karla Chaffee, John Peloso and Dwight Merriam on Posted in RLUIPA Round-Up
Below are news items from the past week involving local government, religion, and land use that have caught our attention. Coral Springs, Florida may allow Satanist Chaz Stevens to begin a City Commission meeting with an invocation honoring Satan in September or October. However, Mayor Skip Campbell will first meet with commission members to discuss … Continue Reading

RLUIPA Round-Up

By Karla Chaffee, Evan Seeman, John Peloso and Dwight Merriam on Posted in RLUIPA Round-Up
We’re a little late with the round-up this week, but promise to continue our effort to bring you interesting stories from the intersection of religion and government. Mayfair, Pennsylvania residents feel disappointment after renovated, historic theater fails to bring live entertainment to downtown, but will likely house Kingdom Life Christian Center, philly.com reports. Objections from … Continue Reading

RLUIPA Round-Up

By Karla Chaffee, Evan Seeman, John Peloso and Dwight Merriam on Posted in RLUIPA Round-Up
We bring you more interesting news from the world of land use, religion and government: The Chicago Tribune reports that the Village of La Grange, Illinois Planning Commission is considering a proposed zoning code amendment that “would require churches to obtain a special use permit for certain activities, including scouting groups, not deemed part of … Continue Reading

RLUIPA Round-UP

By Evan Seeman, Karla Chaffee and Dwight Merriam on Posted in RLUIPA Round-Up
Here are some developments that we are following involving religious land use and the intersection of religion and local government. New Life Evangelistic Center, which runs a homeless shelter in downtown St. Louis, and the City of St. Louis to explore potential resolution to RLUIPA suit involving either City’s blessing for Church to host up … Continue Reading

RLUIPA Round-Up

By Karla Chaffee, Evan Seeman and Dwight Merriam on Posted in RLUIPA Round-Up
RLUIPA Defense is excited to bring you week two of the RLUIPA Round-Up – a weekly run through of recent religious land use disputes and other matters involving local government and religion throughout the country, as well as other stories that are important to monitor, or are at least pretty entertaining. Do you have a … Continue Reading

RLUIPA Round-Up

By Evan Seeman, Karla Chaffee and Dwight Merriam on Posted in Religious Exercise, RLUIPA Round-Up
Welcome to the inaugural edition of RLUIPA Round-Up, where we run through recent religious land use disputes and other matters involving local government and religion throughout the country. Some of the items below include updates of cases that we have previously reported, pending zoning applications for religious use, or other topics such as religious invocation … Continue Reading
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