October 21, 1999 | Read Time: 1 minute
* The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed to stand a state-court ruling that permits Arizona residents to claim a tax credit for donations to non-profit scholarship organizations that help poor families pay for private-school tuition. The Arizona Supreme Court ruled earlier this year (The Chronicle, February 11) that a 1997 state law allowing the credit was valid. Critics said the statute amounted to taking money out of the state’s treasury and putting it into predominately church-run schools and thus violated Arizona’s constitutional ban on using government dollars to support religious activities. Although the Supreme Court said it did not want to review the case, it did not explain its rationale.
* The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has voted to ask the Internal Revenue Service to investigate whether the Mormon Church has broken the law by straying into politics or lobbying too much. Some church leaders have sought support for a state ballot measure next March that would effectively ban same-sex marriages. Mormon Church officials have denied any wrongdoing.
