Religion & Law

Phyllis Schlafly: The Problem is Government Unions

Posted on February 16, 2010
Phyllis Schlafly writes at Townhall: "The Senate's decisive defeat of confirmation of radical labor lawyer Craig Becker is the first tangible result of the Massachusetts Miracle, which made Scott Brown the 41st Republican in the U.S. Senate."

Illinois: Mercer School Board approves prayer before meetings

Posted on February 16, 2010
WQAD.com(includes video): "Leaders in one community's school district will turn to guidance from a higher power as they forge ahead with their first consolidated school year. The Mercer County School Board agreed to hold a prayer before their meeting...

Jewish Groups Split On Issues In Pending Supreme Court CLS Case

Posted on February 16, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "An article yesterday from JTA discusses the differences of opinion within the Jewish community over which side to support in the pending Supreme Court of Christian Legal Society v. Martinez."

Kenneth Starr Named President of Baylor University

Posted on February 16, 2010
LawCrossing: "Baylor announced today that Kenneth Starr has been chosen as the university?s 14th president. "

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KY: Court Orders Religious Highway Billboards Removed

Posted on February 16, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "A Kentucky state trial court judge has ordered two highway billboards that display religious messages to be taken down within 60 days, finding that they violate state highway beautification laws . . . "

First Step in Mexico On Church-State Separation Amendment to Constitution

Posted on February 16, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: Business Week reports last week that the lower house of Mexico's Congress has approved a constitutional amendment that formally establishes separation of church and state."

MA: Newton state senator cracks down on adults sexting children

Posted on February 16, 2010
Wicked Local (GateHouse News Service): "Legislation filed last week by State Sen. Cynthia Creem would include text messages and other electronic communication in state laws preventing adults from sending obscene messages to minors."

New data: 40 percent in US lack home broadband

Posted on February 16, 2010
AP: "Roughly 40 percent of Americans do not have high-speed Internet access at home, according to new Commerce Department figures that underscore the challenges facing policymakers who are trying to bring affordable broadband connections to everyone." The report also reports usage data based on race and income.

Classroom religious conflict suspends NC teacher

Posted on February 16, 2010
ABC 13 (AP): "A North Carolina middle-school teacher has been suspended after reacting angrily on her Facebook page that she was subjected to a 'hate crime' by Christian students."

William Saletan and the Tebow ad: Abortion is not a heroic effort to save anyone?s life

Posted on February 16, 2010
Though Saletan's criticism is less shrill than NARAL's, he makes the same basic attempt to draw the square peg of "pro-choice" beliefs through the round hole of pro-life mothers who highlight the personhood of their preborn children.

Fleecing America, A discourse on libertarian litigation principles

Posted on February 16, 2010
The Quincy Cove: "The question now before the Supreme Court [in Perdue] is whether a reasonable attorney?s fee award under a federal fee-shifting statute ever be enhanced based solely on quality of performance and results obtained when these factors already are included in the lodestar calculation? ...

Senate Democrats: Reconciliation Still Possible Even With Health Care Summit

Posted on February 16, 2010
LifeNews: "Senate Democrats are confirming comments last week from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a top aide and saying that the reconciliation idea to railroad the pro-abortion government-run health care bill through the Senate is on the table even with the upcoming White House health care summit...

WV: New Poll Shows 78% of Registered Democrat Voters Support Marriage

Posted on February 16, 2010
Family Policy Council of West Virginia: "The Family Policy Council of West Virginia (FPCWV) today announced results of a poll . . . Among its findings, the poll revealed that 78 percent of registered democrat voters agree that marriage should be defined as one man and one woman...

Talk Grows of 2 Openings at High Court

Posted on February 16, 2010
Tony Mauro writes at the Law.com (National Law Journal): "If two U.S. Supreme Court vacancies materialize this spring, they may have the same impact on the nation's capital that two heavy snowfalls have had this month: gridlock, paralysis and frayed tempers...

NCAA Football Committee OKs Ban on ?Eye Black? Notes

Posted on February 16, 2010
"The NCAA Football Rules Committee agreed Wednesday to bar players from displaying words, numbers, logos and other symbols in the anti-glare 'eye black' they underline their eyes with. Though not mentioned in the decision, former college football star and outspoken Christian Tim Tebow has been credited by numerous media and bloggers as having had an influence on the move ...

Ricky Martin calls for focus on human trafficking

Posted on February 16, 2010
AP: "Martin was visiting his native island to present a study conducted by the nonprofit Ricky Martin Foundation, a group advocating children's rights globally. The 91-page report concludes that sex tourism and human trafficking are serious problems in Puerto Rico ...

LA sidewalk = no speech zone

Posted on February 16, 2010
OneNewsNow: "Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) has filed suit against Los Angeles County officials over a constitutional free speech issue . . . 'The way they are applying it, they have a rule that says you can't do any expressive activities within 100 feet of any door,' [Jonathan Scruggs] notes...

Settlement close in street preachers case

Posted on February 16, 2010
Sea Coast Online: "The town of Hampton is close to settling a federal lawsuit filed by two Christians who claimed they were wrongly arrested by police at Hampton Beach in 2008 for preaching the word of God . . . At the time, ADF Senior Counsel Joseph Infranco said the lawsuit was filed to challenge what they call 'vague' state law regarding disorderly conduct, which they claimed inhibited free speech by prohibiting 'loud or unreasonable noises in public' without any method to determine what constitutes a 'loud and unreasonable noises...

NC: Church leaders are not united on lawsuit

Posted on February 16, 2010
Winston-Salem Journal: "County commissioners aren't the only group split on the contentious issue of public prayer. Faith leaders are divided, too . . . Board members are getting swamped with e-mail calling for an appeal, thanks in part to an organized effort by the local N...

Iowa: ?More than 160 faith leaders showed their support for same-sex marriage at the Statehouse Tuesday?

Posted on February 16, 2010
WHOTV.com: "The 167 people, who represent a number of faiths, held a Statehouse news conference Tuesday to argue that unions based on love 'must be honored.' . . . Bryan English, a spokesman for the conservative Iowa Family Policy Center, says his group can't find biblical justification for supporting gay marriage rights...

Iowa pharmacy board to discuss medical marijuana

Posted on February 16, 2010
Quad City Times: "Iowa likely won't be the 15th state to legalize medical marijuana any time soon, but there has been plenty of talk about the idea with two bills in the Legislature and a possible recommendation on legalization Wednesday by the state pharmacy board...

Michigan ACLU to Royal Oak Police: Return ?unlawfully seized? medical marijuana to patient

Posted on February 16, 2010
MLive.com: "The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan today drafted a letter to Royal Oak Police Chief Christopher Jahnke asking him to return 'unlawfully seized' medical marijuana to a registered user."

Nevada Personhood Backers Appeal Judge?s Ruling Abortion Amdt Too Broad

Posted on February 16, 2010
LifeNews: "Backers of a personhood-abortion ballot measure in Nevada that would define unborn children as a person beginning at conception, or fertilization have appealed a judge's decision."

Quebec: Doctors back ?right to die?

Posted on February 16, 2010
The Gazette: "Euthanasia is already a reality in Quebec hospitals, the president of the federation of Quebec medical specialists, told a National Assembly committee yesterday . . . Geoffrey Kelley, chairman of the committee, explained that MNAs will hear about 30 expert witnesses on "dying with dignity" to prepare a paper for a travelling public consultation this fall...

Maine considers banning biology-based restrooms considers

Posted on February 16, 2010
WorldNetDaily: "A proposal by the Maine Human Rights Commission to establish a broad right for 'transgender' boys to use girls restrooms in all Maine schools will be the subject of a public hearing scheduled by the commission March 1."

NH: Cities won?t get a say on same-sex ?marriage?

Posted on February 16, 2010
Union Leader: "Residents of the state's 13 cities won't be voting next month as towns across the state consider a resolution looking to settle the definition of marriage at the ballot box, rather than in Concord."

?Austrian straight couple applies for gay marriage?

Posted on February 16, 2010
Deutsche Welle: "A heterosexual couple in Austria is fighting for the right to enter into a registered civil partnership - introduced for homosexual couples in January 2010. Under current law the couple will be denied that right - but they have vowed to take the case to the country's constitutional court to overturn what they says is a discriminatory legislation...

U.S. Supreme Court sets argument dates in key cases

Posted on February 16, 2010
SCOTUS Blog reports the following dates on these cases of interest: Mon. Apr. 19 --- Christian Legal Society v. Martinez (08-1371) ? right of religious student group to benefits at public college without sacrificing beliefs Wed. Apr. 28 --- Doe No. 1 v...

Legislation would create abortion waiting period in Missouri

Posted on February 16, 2010
KansasCity.com (AP): "Women seeking abortions in Missouri would have to receive information about the fetus and wait 24 hours for the procedure under a bill in the state Senate."

Wisconsin: ACLU Upset Over Plan To Fingerprint Kids At Child Care Centers

Posted on February 16, 2010
WTAQ.com: "ACLU The American Civil Liberties Union is up in arms over a Republican lawmaker?s plan to keep track of children attending state-funded child care centers . . . "

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