A Wisconsin ruling on Catholic Charities raises the bar for religious tax exemptions

Exemptions that allow religious organizations to avoid paying Wisconsin's unemployment tax don't apply to a Catholic charitable organization because its on-the-ground operations aren't primarily religious, a divided state Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The outcome of the case, which drew attention and concern from religious groups around the country, raises the bar for all religions to show that their charity arms deserve such exemptions in the state. The court ruled 4-3 that the Superior-based Catholic Charities Bureau and its subentities' motivation to help older, disabled and low-income people stems from Catholic teachings but that its actual work is secular.