Trying to join a religion to avoid workers’ comp? Try again
December 23, 2024

SupremeCourtThe Supreme Court elected to stay out of a dispute between Montana and a Hutterite religious colony over paying workers’ compensation insurance, reported the Washington Post. As you might have guessed, Montana wanted some coin while the Hutterites argued against paying.

Montana passed a law in 2009 requiring that all religious organizations must carry workers’ compensation insurance. The Hutterites are a religious colony which was founded by Jacob Hutter in 1533 and is focused on communal life and a lack of personal goods. Article Four of their church states: “All gifts received from God should be held in common, according to the practice of the first apostolic church community of Christ, so the needy in the church can be supported.”

The group argued that since you can’t be part of their religion if you have personal property, they shouldn’t have to have comp insurance on these workers. Montana disagreed, and the Supreme Court said “My name’s paul, and this is between y’all” [Name that movie!]

 

 

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