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WASHINGTON — <\/span>WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 The Supreme Court<\/a> will hear from Catholic preschools that say Colorado violated their religious rights by excluding them from a state-funded program over their admission policies.<\/p>\n The court agreed on Monday to take up the appeal from St. Mary Catholic Parish, which is supported by the Republican Trump administration. <\/p>\n Joined by the Archdiocese of Denver, the facilities argue it\u2019s unconstitutional to bar them from a taxpayer-funded universal preschool program because of their faith-based restrictions on admission of LGBTQ+ families and kids. <\/p>\n The state said that religious schools are welcome to participate but are required to follow nondiscrimination laws. The program was created by a 2020 ballot measure and provides public funding for free preschool at centers selected by parents. <\/p>\n It\u2019s the latest religious rights case for the conservative-majority court, which has backed other claims of religious discrimination while taking a more skeptical view of LGBTQ+ rights.<\/p>\n As part of the case, the court will consider narrowing a landmark 1990 decision over the spiritual use of peyote, a cactus that contains a hallucinogen called mescaline. That opinion, written by conservative icon Justice Antonin Scalia, found religious practices don\u2019t create exemptions from broadly applicable laws.<\/p>\n The justices declined a push from the schools, along with a Catholic family in Colorado, to overturn the ruling.<\/p>\n The case will be heard in the fall. <\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Follow the AP’s coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/us-supreme-court<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n