Holy Rolled: US Supreme Court blocks Stitt and Walters’ attempt to launch taxpayer-funded Catholic school

I guess even the almighty and powerful God is against taxpayer funding of religious schools.

Earlier today, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit – which I’ve heard may all be the same thing – used their divine powers to help Chief Justice John Roberts see the light and cast a deciding vote that upholds the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s decision to block the formation of the St. Isidore Public Schools.

The decision effectively terminates the attempt by Stitt, Walters, and their consortium of religious entrepreneurs, hacks, and theocrats to tear down that pesky and fragile wall that separates church and state, and move America one step closer to becoming a theocracy.

Well, at least for now.

Roberts’ vote to preserve the widely agreed-upon judicial precedent of the Establishment Clause made the decision a 4-4 tie. Apparently, Justice Amy Barrett had to recuse herself from the case because her BFF was an early adviser for the school.

Via the NY Times:

While Justice Barrett did not provide an explanation for her recusal, it may be because she is close friends with Nicole Stelle Garnett, a professor at Notre Dame Law School who was an early adviser for St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, the school involved in the dispute.

The two had clerked together on the Supreme Court in the late 1990s, and they later became neighbors and colleagues in Indiana when both taught at Notre Dame. Justice Barrett is the godmother to one of Ms. Garnett’s children, and Ms. Garnett has described the pair’s lives as “completely intertwined.”

Naturally, Kevin Stitt – Oklahoma’s Chief Executive Theocratic – didn’t like the news. He shared the statement that, somewhat surprisingly, didn’t blame the “activist” judges boogeymen that conservatives like to conjure up whenever they lose a court case:

Listen. I know I’m not a wealthy Evangelical banker who wants to help my religious grifter buddies get their hands on state, local, and federal tax dollars, but I’m pretty sure parents still have the right to instill their values in their children.

For example, nobody got in the way or discriminated against Stitt when he instilled the value in his son that some people of certain rank, privilege, and class are above the law.

That being said, I do kind of agree with Stitt on this one.

The fight is far from over. The Holy Roller brigade is, ironically enough, hell-bent on using taxpayer dollars to help fund their religious indoctrination, and you do have to figure the Supreme Court justice who was appointed to the bench by Trump, taught at Notre Dame Law School, and is besties with an advisor for St. Isidore will help them do that.

For painful giggles and eye rolls, I checked out Ryan Walters’ social media account to see what he had to say about the decision, and whether or not he feels that justices who voted against the school should be impeached or executed.

But, surprisingly, as of "press 'publish' button" time, this was his most recent tweet:

First of all, I like how he tagged former KOCO anchor Markie Martin. I wonder if he wants Markie to share the video with her sister in hopes it will get to Trump?

Second, is Ryan okay? Why hasn’t he left a statement about his big judicial defeat? Was he too busy researching Oklahoma tax laws? Was his puppet master Matt Langston stuck in traffic in Austin? Did Ryan see his wife’s car at the Harbor Mountain Coffee Shop and get distracted? We need answers!

Anyway, although it’s kind of cool to see judicial logic prevail, I have a feeling the celebration will be short-lived, and the Devil will find some other case in some other state to help tear down that pesky wall. Will God care enough to block it again, or will he – like most frustrated Oklahomans – simply toss his hands up and sigh?

Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.