LEAD POLICY COUNSEL
AMERICANS UNITED FOR SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
Nik Nartowicz (he/him) is Lead Policy Counsel at Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Nik joined Americans United in 2017. As Lead Policy Counsel, Nik tracks and analyzes legislation that would affect church-state separation and religious liberty. He serves as an expert on church-state separation law and policy to state and federal legislators and staff, advocates, media, and the public. He drafts letters to legislators and works with allies to defeat bills that would undermine religious freedom. He joined AU after working for 2 years for Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser in the Office of Federal and Regional Affairs. As Policy Counsel, he worked with Congress and federal agencies to advance D.C.’s priorities in judiciary, legal, public safety, LGBTQ, and technology issues. He also helped lead D.C.’s successful 2016 Statehood referendum.
Learn more about Americans United for Separation of Church & State and sign up for their updates at au.org
PRESENTER
CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM & TRUMP: AN UPDATE ON LEGISLATIVE & LEGAL ACTION
Join us for lunch and an overview of the efforts by the Trump administration and Christian Nationalist allies to impose a narrow set of religious views on everyone. We will cover ongoing attacks on religious freedom happening in Congress, legislatures, and the courts in the areas of public education, civil rights protections, and more.
The session will conclude with a dynamic panel discussion featuring advocates and experts who are pushing back against these threats. Together, they’ll unpack the real-world consequences and discuss how we can collectively respond to defend freedom for all.
BREAKOUT LEADER
VOUCHERS, COMMANDMENTS & BOOK BANS. OH, MY! STATE-MANDATED RELIGION IN PUBLIC EDUCATION
Our public schools are increasingly under attack by Christian Nationalists. From challenges to books and curricula, to trying to force Christian content and symbols into our public schools, to promoting vouchers to fund religious education, there is an organized effort to force public schools to promote Christian nationalism. There is a simultaneous and related campaign to undermine support for public schools and divert public funds to pay for private religious education without education standards and legal protections. Learn about these efforts and what you can do to protect public education in our state.