Judge Blocks New York From Enforcing Restrictions on Religious Gatherings
Jul 3, 2020
A federal judge on Friday ordered New York's places of worship to be treated the same as businesses when it comes to coronavirus restrictions in a ruling that criticized Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo for encouraging protests while simultaneously limiting outdoor religious gatherings.
U.S. Supreme Court Says Religion Ban in Montana’s Education Tax Credit Program Is Unconstitutional
Jul 3, 2020
In a 5 to 4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a provision in Montana’s Constitution prohibiting state aid to religious organizations could not prevent taxpayers from obtaining a state tax credit for contributions made to private parochial schools that are used to provide scholarships for eligible students when a credit is available for contributions made to other types of private schools.
U.S. Supreme Court Say Louisiana Abortion Law Is Unconstitutional
Jul 3, 2020
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision held unconstitutional a Louisiana law that required abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles from where they perform the procedure, which is a requirement Louisiana applies to physicians performing procedures at ambulatory surgical centers. Justice Stephen Breyer’s opinion, speaking for a plurality of the Court, noted that the Louisiana statute was “almost word for word identical” to a Texas statute it had held unconstitutional in 2016.
Trump Administration Defends Idaho’s Transgender Athletics Legislation
Jun 26, 2020
Earlier this month, dozens of groups and hundreds of athletes urged the NCAA to pull tournament events out of Idaho in response to the legislature’s passage of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, which bans transgender females from competing in women’s sports.
Governor DeWine Signs Bill Expanding Religious Freedom in Ohio Public Schools
Jun 26, 2020
Ohio has enacted legislation aimed at increasing religious freedom rights for students in public schools, including the use of religious content by students in school assignments.
Seventh Circuit Rules Illinois Can Restrict Churches to 10 People
Jun 26, 2020
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Illinois’ Covid-19 stay-at-home orders on Tuesday, refusing to issue an injunction against Governor Pritzker’s decision to limit indoor religious gatherings to no more than 10 people.
Tennessee Legislature Passes Fetal Heartbeat Bill; Planned Parenthood, ACLU File Lawsuit
Jun 26, 2020
Last Friday, an emergency lawsuit was filed against the state seeking to enjoin the implementation of a bill passed by the Tennessee legislature that bans abortion at ten different stages of fetal development, beginning with the detection of the heartbeat.
Trump Admin to Allow Homeless Shelters to Serve on Basis of Biological Sex
Jun 19, 2020
The Department of Housing and Urban Development is set to roll back an Obama-era rule that requires single-sex homeless shelters to accommodate clients based on their gender identity. Under HUD’s proposed new rule, workers at single-sex shelters may consider someone’s biological sex, instead of how they self-identify, when making accommodation decisions.
Supreme Court Ruling Extends Title VII Protection to Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation
Jun 19, 2020
In a 6-3 ruling on Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Bostock v Clayton County, Georgia, that provisions in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination in the workplace based on sex must be extended to both gender identity and sexual orientation. The opinion was a surprise to many because sexual orientation and gender identity were not considered “sex” at the time that word was used by Congress.
Gays, Progressives Rebuke George Takei on ‘Scientifically Ignorant’ Biological Sex
Jun 19, 2020
Actor and left-wing political activist George Takei took to Twitter last week to comment on transphobia. Takei's tweet read, "When you defend so-called ‘biological sex,’ you sound scientifically ignorant and you elevate transphobia." However, the actor received backlash from a number of progressives and gays on Twitter.
