The case is Town of Greece v. Galloway. But similiar disputes have erupted around the country for years.
The only substantial restriction on prayers before government meetings has been that they are non-sectarian—i.e., they don't specifically mention a religion but rather speak broadly and generically. Even that limitation has been hard to meet. Rarely are these prayers ““>refer specifically to Jesus, “>I reported almost 10 years ago, many Inland Empire cities simply didn't bother giving guidelines to those they invited to deliver the invocation.
Still, the shadow of a restriction was real. And though the Supreme Court's ruling today does not remove that barrier, it appears to wholly defang it. If municipal governments could not adhere to constitutional limitations on sectarian prayer before Town of Greece v. Galloway, why would they be able to once the possibility of meaningful judicial review has been vitiated?
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