Religion & Law

Taxpayer-Funded Abortions Coming Soon

Posted on July 01, 2009
Jillian Bandes writes at Townhall: "The Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, headed by Rep. José Serrano (D-NY), will vote on whether or not to include legislation that would permit government-funded abortions in the District of Columbia as long as they were paid for by local taxes and not federal funds...

The ?Absentee? Senator: Franken wins by changing the rules

Posted on July 01, 2009
"Mr. Coleman didn't lose the election. He lost the fight to stop the state canvassing board from changing the vote-counting rules after the fact."

Same-sex ?marriage? in CA: After Prop. 8 passed

Posted on July 01, 2009
Lincoln Law Review: "The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the events and the legal issues involved in the case that is currently before the California Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of Proposition 8. Proposition 8 makes the current law in California such that only opposite-sex couples may be married...

Pro-Abortion Hispanic Group: Sotomayor Set Policy, Not Involved in Legal Briefs

Posted on July 01, 2009
LifeNews: "The president of a pro-abortion Hispanic group says Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor set policy but was not involved in pro-abortion legal briefs when she was on its board of directors. Sotomayor was on the board of the group now known as Latino Justice ...

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Group sends Sotomayor docs to Senate

Posted on July 01, 2009
Yahoo News (AP): "Latino Justice PRLDEF sent the Judiciary Committee more than 350 pages of documents from the 12 years Sotomayor spent on its board, opening what could be an ugly new chapter in the debate over confirming the federal appeals court judge as the first Hispanic justice...

9th Circuit reversed 14 times this term

Posted on July 01, 2009
How Appealing carries this report by Lawrence Hurly for the Daily Journal: "Back in December, the nine black-robed justices of the U.S. Supreme Court had an unusual experience during a routine oral argument: Both of the arguing counsel abandoned the reasoning of the federal appeals court ruling under scrutiny...

Defense Secretary Gates Seeking Ways to Get Around Law Barring Homosexuals in Military

Posted on July 01, 2009
CNSNews: "Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday he wants to make the law prohibiting gays from serving openly in the armed forces 'more humane' until Congress eventually repeals it. He said he has lawyers studying ways the law might be selectively enforced...

Planned Parenthood?s Animated Cartoon Advises Teens on Benefits of ?Sex Play? and ?Outercourse?

Posted on July 01, 2009
CNSNews: "In an animated video cartoon on its Web site, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America advises teens that taking part in 'sex play' and 'outercourse' can greatly reduce their risk of getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI) . . . "

Washington: Court rulings loom on campaign funds, civil rights

Posted on July 01, 2009
One News Now (AP): "The court's action Monday in a campaign finance case strongly hinted that its conservatives will be able to overturn long-standing limits on corporate and union money in federal elections. The justices scheduled a new round of arguments for Sept...

Connecticut AG Says Ethics Agency Should Drop Investigation of Diocese Lobbying

Posted on July 01, 2009
Religion Clause Blog: "Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has advised the Office of State Ethics to drop its investigation of whether activities of the Bridgeport Diocese require it to register as a lobbyist."

Activist Wants Illinois Governor To Veto Appropriations To Religious Institutions

Posted on July 01, 2009
Religion Clause Blog: "Social activist Rob Sherman has written a top aide to Illinois Governor Pat Quinn urging him to exercise his line item veto to eliminate all grants in the state's recently passed appropriations bill (HB 313) that are directed to churches, parochial schools and other religious organizations...

Westchester Institute on egg donation

Posted on July 01, 2009
The Westchester Institute for Ethics & the Human Person has a roundup of recent news on egg donation.

D.C. Superior Court rejects same-sex ?marriage? referendum

Posted on July 01, 2009
Adam Serwer writes at Tapped, the group blog of The American Prospect: "Yesterday Judge Judith Retchin denied Bishop Harry Jackson and the Alliance Defense Fund's appeal of the DC Board of Ethics and Elections ruling that stated recognition of same-sex marriages in the District would not be a proper subject for referendum because it violates DC Human Rights law by enshrining discrimination against same-sex couples...

Judge puts Boies and Olson?s Prop. 8 challenge on fast-track to trial

Posted on July 01, 2009
ADF Attorney Brian Raum: "For example, he said, questions of past persecution of gays and lesbians are irrelevant because Prop. 8 allows them to marry, as long as they wed someone of the opposite sex."

Same old, same old ? ACLU vs. public prayer

Posted on July 01, 2009
OneNewsNow reports: "'Here we have a federal judge who has acknowledged very clearly that this is a practice -- a long-cherished American tradition -- that dates back to the very founding of our nation, and there is no reason that modern current leaders, public leaders of every public body in America, can't open with a prayer just like the founders did,' Mike Johnson contends...

Supreme Court punts

Posted on July 01, 2009
Scott Jaschik reports at Inside Higher Ed: "So where does this leave colleges and students? Waiting. David French, senior legal counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund, said he views the Supreme Court's decision to skip the Truth appeal as telling those involved in this issue not a flat 'no' but a 'not yet...

Federal judge taking long look at Prop. 8

Posted on July 01, 2009
Bob Egelko reports in the San Francisco Chronicle: "'We think this is an issue of law' that does not depend on disputed evidence, Raum said. For example, he said, questions of past persecution of gays and lesbians are irrelevant because Prop. 8 allows them to marry, as long as they wed someone of the opposite sex...

Pennylvania: Pastor censored by the House to pray uncensored in the state Senate

Posted on July 01, 2009
York Daily Record reports that a pastor will be praying uncensored before the Pennsylvania Senate: "Though he had originally accepted the invitation and complied with the House policy that requires prayers to be written and submitted in advance, Stoltzfoos ultimately changed his mind when a staff member for Speaker of the House Keith McCall, D-Carbon County, asked that he remove a single reference to Jesus from the prayer's closing...

?D.C. Judge declines to stay law on gay marriage?

Posted on July 01, 2009
Keith L. Alexander reports in the Washington Post: "Brian Raum, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, the Christian conservative law firm that represented Jackson and his group, said they will file an appeal seeking to have the law overturned. The group announced after the ruling that it will seek a ballot initiative on a law defining marriage as being between one man and one woman...

High court won?t hear Bible-club case

Posted on July 01, 2009
CitizenLink: "Nate Kellum of the Alliance Defense Fund said the restrictions did not prevent anyone from participating. 'They certainly wanted others to attend to hear the good news of Jesus Christ,' he said. Kellum explained that other clubs in the school are able to put restrictions on membership...

Obama criticizes ?old attitudes? about homosexuality, says Americans will change

Posted on July 01, 2009
Michael Foust reports at Baptist Press: "'DOMA actually protects the right of states to determine social policy with respect to marriage,' Babione previously told Baptist Press. 'It allows states the freedom to protect marriage between a man and a woman and not to have the same-sex marriages of other states imposed upon them...

Obama not appealing $500k award against the Library of Congress for ?transgender? discrimination

Posted on July 01, 2009
"The Obama administration is not fighting a nearly $500,000 judgment for a Library of Congress hiree who lost the job while undergoing a gender change from a man to a woman."

Foundation for Moral Law Calls for Investigation of Birmingham Planned Parenthood for Child Sex Abuse Coverup

Posted on July 01, 2009
Foundation for Moral Law: "The Foundation for Moral Law in Montgomery, Alabama called on the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) and law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute the Planned Parenthood clinic in Birmingham, AL, for recorded evidence released today that shows a staff member telling an alleged statutory rape victim that the clinic will 'sometimes bend the rules a little bit' rather than report sexual abuse to state authorities, as required by state law...

Pastor Rick Warren to address American Muslims

Posted on July 01, 2009
AP: "In a sign of growing acceptance of U.S. Muslims, one of the most prominent religious leaders in the country, evangelical pastor Rick Warren, will speak at the Islamic Society's annual convention this weekend. Representatives from the two largest streams of American Judaism, the Reform and Conservative movements, will also be there to highlight their recently formed partnerships with the Muslim group...

Lithuanian President vetoes legislation that banned homosexual propaganda in schools

Posted on July 01, 2009
"The law, described by an MEP this week as 'a spit into the face of European values', would ban 'propaganda for homosexuality and bisexuality' as one of the 'detrimental effectors' on children."

N.Y. Senate Action Leaves City Empty-Handed as Bills Languish

Posted on July 01, 2009
Bloomberg: "New York?s Senate remained deadlocked in a three-week leadership dispute between Republicans and Democrats that let pass a midnight deadline for New York City to boost sales taxes and continue mayoral control of public schools."

Gender Trouble in the Law: Arguments Against the Use of Status/Conduct Binaries in Sexual Orientation Law

Posted on July 01, 2009
Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice: "this Note is a refutation of the justifications and methods used to deny sexual minorities rights by highlighting arguments against current classifications of sexual orientation as conduct and dismantling the discrete categories these binaries purport to represent...

Economic Parameters of End-of-Life Care: Some Policy Implications in an Era of Health Care Reform

Posted on July 01, 2009
Western New England Law Review: "In this Article, we introduce and briefly explore some of what is known, as well as what is not known, about the economics of end-of-life care and its policy implications. We attempt to stay largely in the realm of positive analysis, describing the policy parameters and what is known about behavioral responses to those parameters...

Legalising Active Voluntary Euthanasia Through the Courts: Some Lessons from Colombia

Posted on July 01, 2009
Medical Law Review: "English language discussions of countries in which euthanasia is, to varying degrees, legalised, or in which the courts had to pronounce themselves on the issue, even though often in the end rejecting any legalisation of active euthanasia, rarely include any mention of Colombia...

In the Twilight of the Nation-State: Subnational Constitutions in the New World Oder

Posted on July 01, 2009
Rutgers Law Journal: "Not only are states and localities receiving input from abroad, but they are also creating principles with international effects. Whether by symbolic proclamation or binding regulation, states and localities are injecting their views into the global realm...

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