City of Boerne v. Flores case brief

City of Boerne v. Flores case brief summary
521 U.S. 507 (1997)

CASE SYNOPSIS

Petitioners sought review of a judgment entered in favor of respondent from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit under an action challenging the constitutionality of a church building permit denial under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, 42 U.S.C.S. § 2000bb et seq.

CASE FACTS
Petitioners challenged the judgment in favor of respondents that upheld the constitutionality of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA), 42 U.S.C.S. § 2000bb et seq., under an action challenging respondents' church building permit denial.

DISCUSSION

• On review, the court held that Congress was afforded broad powers under the Enforcement Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. 
• However, in most cases, the state laws to which RFRA applied were not ones motivated by religious bigotry and, thus, the RFRA was not considered remedial or preventative legislation. 
• The court determined that the RFRA appeared to be an attempt to invoke substantive change in constitutional protections. 
• Thus, the court held that the RFRA was unconstitutional because it allowed considerable Congressional intrusion into the states' general authority to regulate for the health and welfare of their citizens.

CONCLUSION
The court reversed the judgment sustaining the constitutionality of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 because it contradicted vital principles necessary to maintain separation of powers and the federal balance.

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