AACS Today

Join Olivia, Jamison, and Matt as they discuss the historical first meeting of President Trump's Religious Liberty Commission. Established by a May 1 Executive Order [https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/05/establishment-of-the-religious-liberty-commission/] and chaired by Texas Lt. Gov Dan Patrick, the Commission, "shall produce a comprehensive report on the foundations of religious liberty in America, the impact of religious liberty on American society, current threats to domestic religious liberty, strategies to preserve and enhance religious liberty protections for future generations, and programs to increase awareness of and celebrate America’s peaceful religious pluralism." AACS Government Relations Assistant, Olivia Summers, was privileged to attend this meeting, and in this episode she shares some of the biggest takeaways from the discussion.

Jessica Valente from Tabernacle Christian School [https://www.tabernaclechristianschool.org/] in Hickory, North Carolina, was selected as one of the 2025 Teachers of the Year [https://herzogfoundation.com/herzog-foundation-announces-2025-christian-teachers-of-the-year/] by the Herzog Foundation, and on this episode, she shares her heart for teaching students with special needs. Be sure to listen to catch her suggestions for how you can begin a program at your school!

Jamison and Matt interview AACS interns, Hudson and Hayden, on day 2 of their journey as summer interns for the AACS Washington office. Listen in to get to know them, and be sure to pray for them this summer!

Jamison and Matt discuss how the religious liberty language came to be reinstated in the school choice version of the Big Beautiful Bill Act (ECCA portion). They also break down a few of the potential problems with some of the provisions that remain in the bill.  Finally, they break down how religious liberty precedents set by the Supreme Court undergird the need for the religious liberty language to remain in the Senate version of the bill.

*Be sure to listen to the program note at the end of the podcast as there is a very important update since the original recording. In this episode, Jamison and Matt look at the importance of religious liberty in our country and why its worth fighting for when it comes to federal school choice legislation in the, "big beautiful bill."