Daily Archives: April 29, 2010

“The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) late yesterday sent a letter to Governor Bredesen urging him to veto SB 2686/HB 2681, which would prevent any woman purchasing a qualified health plan through a state exchange from obtaining coverage for abortion. The legislation goes significantly further than longstanding rules against federal funding for abortion, which have traditionally permitted exceptions in cases of life endangerment, rape or incest. SB 2686/HB 2681 would not permit coverage even under those extreme circumstances.”

The Tennessean: “This month, [Cole] Goforth called the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, becoming one of a growing number of openly gay high school students demanding equal treatment. Complaints from these students and their supporters are raising legal questions and prompting lawsuits in Middle Tennessee and other parts of the South.”

ADF Attorney Gregory S. Baylor writing at speakupmovement.org/university: “The essay’s author, John K. Wilson, bizarrely contends that public universities will be required to ‘enforce’ a religious student group’s own leadership and voting membership criteria. He seems to simply misunderstand the nature of the relationship between student groups and universities.”

The Guardian: “The former archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey today accused judges of moving towards a new ‘secular state’ that would downgrade the rights of religious believers. Attacking a ‘deeply worrying’ court ruling, Carey claimed the judiciary was now tipping the legal balance against believers in ‘a deeply unedifying collision of human rights’.”

Christian Today: “Under the 18th amendment, there will now be four reserved seats for religious minorities in the senate, in addition to the existing 100 seats. It means that each of Pakistan’s four provinces will have its own non-Muslim representative in Parliament.”

Capital News: “The Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) has formally declared its opposition to the draft Constitution, ending weeks of speculation that it would break ranks with other churches.”

Washington Post | Virginia Politics: “The Jewish Federation communities of the Commonwealth wrote a letter to Gov. Bob McDonnell asking him to reconsider his decision yesterday that lifted a ban on Virginia State Police troopers referring to Jesus Christ in public prayers.” | For related information see this ADF Alliance Alert compound tag: http://www.alliancealert.org/tag/state-virginia+topic-prayer/

JURIST: “The Belgian House of Representatives on Thursday voted 136-0 to approve a bill that would ban the Islamic burqa and other full face veils in public.” | For related information see this ADF Alliance Alert compound tag: http://www.alliancealert.org/tag/country-belgium+topic-islam/

LifeSiteNews: “Citing the shortage in organs available for transplant, a state assemblyman in New York has proposed that all citizens of the state become automatically enrolled as candidates for organ harvesting. New York State Assemblyman Richard Brodsky has introduced a new bill in Albany that aims to enroll all New Yorkers as organ donors unless they take action to opt out.” | A09865

C-FAM: “Last Friday, a Congresswoman from Brooklyn, New York introduced a bill in the United States House of Representatives that would greatly expand international funding for abortion, contraception, and sex education, and would effectively eliminate the long-standing Helms Amendment prohibiting the use of U.S. foreign assistance funds for abortion. The Global Sexual and Reproductive Health Act of 2010, sponsored by Representative Yvette Clarke and co-sponsored by at least 17 other House members, appears to be linked to the U.S. statement at the recently concluded United Nations Commission on Population and Development (CPD).”

FOX News: “Doctors who fail to inform their pregnant patients that they have the legal right to have an abortion — or who refuse to refer women to doctors who perform abortions — could be thrown into the slammer for up to four years, if the dominant political party in Mexico City’s legislature has its way.”

LifeSiteNews: “The UK’s Catholic Education Service has hit back at pro-life critics of the organization’s newly appointed deputy director, a former Labour party MP with a long anti-life and anti-family voting record.”

LifeSiteNews: “Torstar Corporation, publisher of the Toronto Star, is emerging as a favorite to buy cash-strapped Canwest Global Communications Corp.’s insolvent newspaper assets, including the National Post, the Globe and Mail reported.”

Newsweek: “Earlier this month, NEWSWEEK published an article on what’s been called the ‘graying’ of the abortion-rights movement: the idea that older women are promoting the cause while younger women are uninvolved. It’s a concern that’s been raised before and that left younger pro-choice activists asking, ‘What about us?’ What resulted was a spirited and informative debate online, where abortion rights activists of all ages discussed what role younger women play in the movement and what the future of that movement looks like. We invited leaders from established pro-choice groups, newer organizations, and prominent online voices to continue that conversation together.”

Spero News: “A gang of Hindu extremists affiliated with the Bajrang Dal attacked a group of Christian women and children who were coming from a peace festival. The incident occurred last night around 11.30 in a village in the State of Karnataka. During the attack, the Hindu extremists called in police who instead of stopping the attackers arrested the women and children. The latter were kept in jail overnight and released only this morning at 8.30. Christian activists slammed this latest example of anti-Christian discrimination and violence, which represents further evidence of the progressive ‘talibanisation’ of India.”

Reuters: “Judge Vaughn Walker tentatively set the date for June 16, said Andrew Pugno, a lawyer for the coalition defending the ban passed by voters in 2008. Gay rights activists also said the hearing would be in June, with the date subject to agreement between the judge and lawyers.”

Blog of the Legal Times: “The Senate Judiciary Committee passed several measures today addressing greater transparency in the judicial system—including televising U.S. Supreme Court hearings.”

WIBW: “Victims of child pornography would be able to sue people who distribute their images for at least $150,000 under a new bill approved by the legislature.” | SB 549 | HB 2509

KLFY (AP): “The bill by Democratic Rep. Patricia Smith, of Baton Rouge, would require the courses from grades four through 12 beginning with the 2011-12 school year. It would include teaching about abstinence, contraceptives and sexually transmitted diseases.”

The Jamestown Sun: “The public discussed many topics at its state-required community forum Tuesday, but the most talked-about among them was the district’s facility rental policy. The policy was criticized recently after a local pastor said allowing religious-affiliated groups to rent the facility during school hours is improper.”

Wall Street Journal | Law Blog: “The reason she’s viewed by many as a riskier pick than the others: she’s been relatively outspoken in her support of abortion rights. Koppel writes that Judge Wood has expressed approval for the philosophy behind the Roe v. Wade decision establishing a woman’s right to abortion, which was written by her former boss, Justice Harry Blackmun.”

“The state suit was filed in addition to pro-life nurse Cathy Cenzon-DeCarlo’s federal lawsuit, which is on appeal, because her rights of conscience are also protected by New York law.”

Jacob Sullum writing at Reason Magazine: “From reading New York Times editorials, I gather that the First Amendment protects celebrities who curse on TV and pit bull enthusiasts who sell dogfighting videos. Yet somehow it does not protect conservative activists who hate Hillary Clinton, Christian student groups that exclude people who engage in extramarital sex, or petition signers who fear harassment if they are publicly identified as opponents of gay marriage.”

James Bopp, Jr. writes at the Washington Times: “We are at another turning point. President Obama is pursuing a socialist agenda based upon a demand for radical equality. As embraced by modern-day liberals, this is not equal opportunity, but equality of outcomes. By rejecting both success and failure, radical equality leads inexorably to a tyranny of shared misery . . . As one ‘tea party’ leader said, the Republican Party is now on probation . . . ”

Washington Post: “Although charter schools have become firmly established in the District’s education world, stepping over to Montgomery County means entering a charter desert . . . ”

The Christian Institute: “A former Tory candidate who was dropped by David Cameron because of his beliefs on same-sex conduct has been suspended from his job as a primary school teacher, according to reports. Philip Lardner’s suspension from work, as reported by Scottish Television (STV), follows a media storm earlier this week after his views on homosexual conduct were attacked by a homosexual news website.” | Related: “Tory candidate Philip Lardner suspended for gay comment”

The Vancouver Sun: “Officials at a Vancouver Catholic school are disputing the story of a music teacher who says she was fired after it emerged she was a lesbian whose partner had recently given birth.”

Breg Baylor writes at the Speak Up Movement, Academic Freedom File: “In March, Professor Marci Hamilton of Cardozo School of Law published a columnon the FindLaw website regarding Christian Legal Society v. Martinez.  I wrote a response, and FindLaw graciously published it.  FindLaw recently published her reply, and this blog post is the next volley in our dialogue . . . ”

Washington Post | D.C. Wire: “D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty apologized today over his decision to issue a certificate of appreciation honoring the leader of the ‘ex-gay’ movement, which believes homosexuals can be ‘rehabilitated.’”

Cleveland Jewish News: “A divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled yesterday that an eight-foot Christian cross on government parkland in California did not violate the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, which prohibits government endorsement of religion. The decision comes on the heels of a Wisconsin federal judge’s ruling that the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional because it endorses prayer for its own sake, not to further a secular purpose . . . Two other cases involving crosses are currently in federal courts. One is a 29-foot cross and war memorial on Mt. Soledad in San Diego. The other involves 12-foot crosses that Utah erects on roadside memorials to fallen highway patrol troopers.”

Christian Post: “Though the U.S. government should be increasingly mindful of religious freedom in its foreign policy and national security decisions, the opposite has occurred, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom stated its its 11th annual report . . . ”

“Lord Justice Laws said legislation to protect views held purely on religious grounds could not be justified. He said it was an irrational idea ‘but it is also divisive, capricious and arbitrary’.”

WBZTV.com: “A final version of the anti-bullying bill goes to both the state Senate and House for votes today. Both sides are expected to pass the legislation, sending it to Gov. Deval Patrick for a signature. Read: The Bully Bill (pdf).”

Jaclyn Schiff writes at NPR: “Although Canada came out recently against abortion funding, Oda’s comments suggest the door is open for other G8 countries to follow their own course on aid for maternal and child health, including supporting abortion. As for the U.S., the G8′s apparent flexibility on maternal and child health aid doesn’t mean America will be paying for abortions abroad anytime soon, despite the current administration’s support . . . ”

Christian Science Monitor: “With Florida Republican Governor Charlie Crist expected to formally announce late Thursday that he will run for the Senate as an independent, GOP leaders made clear they would do their best to starve him of campaign funds . . . ”

The Hill: “The memo indicates the Democrats’ plan includes measures to bolster border security and unify standards for the detention and removal of illegal immigrants. The plan also provides a path to U.S. citizenship for illegal immigrants who agree to some penalties, including paying back-taxes . . . ”

LifeNews: “None of the pro-life Democrats who backed the pro-abortion health care bill in the House have signed on a co-sponsors of new legislation to apply the Hyde amendment to it. The new bill, the Protect Life Act, would fix the several different ways in which the measure funds abortions . . . ”

The Webster University Journal: “Every vote counts . . . well, except those big, flaming gay ones. That’s the stance the Christian Legal Society took in 2004 and is now defending in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. The CLS is a student group at the University of California’s Hastings College of Law . . . In an interview with Tim O’Brien from PBS, [Greg Baylor], attorney for the CLS, said, ‘This is not discrimination. This is about shared beliefs. It makes no sense for a public university to force the Republicans to have a Young Democrat as their leader. The Constitution is clear about this. It protects the rights of groups to come together to articulate their messages and to choose their messengers.’”

Hannah Shtein writing in The Badger-Herald: “UC Hastings Dean Leo Martinez claims that rejecting members on the basis of sexual orientation is indeed discrimination. Countering this, CLS attorney [Greg Baylor]states that it is not discrimination for a belief-grounded group to require that its members share its core values. Baylor would have an argument if the point at issue was only about belief. But that’s not quite the case. To strengthen his point, the CLS attorney used the hypothetical example of student political groups, comparing the situation to requiring the College Republicans to allow a Democrat to be their leader. I’m not sure what law school this guy went to, but his analogy could use some work. Let’s say groups have a right to choose their members based on belief. Beliefs are not something we are born with, but are views we come to hold based on an indefinite number of environmental factors, such as home environment, schooling, etc.”

The American Legion: “‘To remove the Mojave Cross, or to conceal it inside a plywood box as it has been for several months, is a violation of free expression in itself,’ American Legion National Commander Clarence Hill said . . . ‘This is a great victory, and a testimony to the commitment and influence of The American Legion,’ said [Joe Infranco], senior legal counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund. ‘I honestly believe the interest generated by your involvement grabbed the Court’s attention and contributed in a significant way to this victory.’” | ADF News Release

Blog of the Legal Times: “Judge Robert Chatigny, nominated for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, faced withering questions today from Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee about how he handled the case of a notorious serial killer.”

Religion Clause Blog: “Yesterday the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in Croft v. Perry, (recording or oral arguments), an Establishment Clause challenge to the Texas Pledge of Allegiance recited in public schools in Texas.”

Religion Clause Blog: “In a press release today, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom announced the release of its 2010 Annual Report. The Report recommends to Congress, the White House and the State Department that 13 countries be listed as “countries of particular concern (CPCs)” — countries where the most egregious violations of religious freedom are taking place . . . ”

CBN: “‘If they preach or counsel soldiers, airman, sailors, or soldiers, etc., that marriage is only one man and woman woman, certain types of behavior or immoral, they will be in direct conflict with military policy if this law is changed by Congress,’ said [Jordan Lorence], Senior Counsel of the Alliance Defense Fund.” | ADF News Release

Virtue Online: ‘The judge has, in effect, declared 250 years of American Christian heritage is unconstitutional,’ declared [Alan Sears], President of the Alliance Defense Fund.”

OneNewsNow: “Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) attorney [Joe Infranco] tells OneNewsNow the initial lawsuit was filed by one of the usual groups. ‘Essentially what you have here is a case brought by the ACLU — America’s number-one religious censor — that was based upon the wounded sensibilities of a lone atheist who was “offended” by the fact that there was a cross on this property,’ Infranco illustrates.” | ADF News Release

CNSNews: “‘The chaplains of many of the world’s religions believe that marriage is defined only as one man and one woman and that certain types of sexual behavior are immoral,’ [Jordan Lorence] told reporters. ‘It is hard to think in the past in American history where formal U.S military policy has been at odds with the major tenets of the major religions represented in the armed services.’” | ADF News Release

Religion Dispatches: “Last week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, a closely-watched case by both the religious right and civil liberties advocates . . . [Alan Sears], the president of the Alliance Defense Fund (which is CLS’s co-counsel in the case), told the Values Voters Summit in 2007, ‘the homosexual agenda and religious freedom are on a collision course,’ and claimed the goals of the ‘homosexual agenda’ included silencing religious speech . . . Through its Speak Up Movement, ADF has created a special niche for drumming up cases at colleges and universities, and for pitting the values of academia against what it portrays as the constitutional rights of Christians to ‘live out your faith on campus.’”

California Catholic Daily: “‘The ACLU and its allies should not be able to demolish war memorials based on the objection of one person who can’t seriously claim to have suffered harm from it,” said ADF Senior Counsel [Jordan Lorence]. ‘Americans want memorials to our nations’ fallen heroes protected. Congress was doing just that when it transferred the land under this memorial to the veterans’ group that cares for it.’ ‘A passive monument acknowledging our nation’s religious heritage cannot be interpreted as an establishment of religion,’ added ADF Senior Counsel [Joseph Infranco].” | ADF News Release

San Diego Union-Tribune: “‘The majority decision recognizes we have a strong religious tradition in this country and (that) the display of religious symbols in certain circumstances doesn’t violate the Constitution,’ said [Joseph Infranco], a lawyer with the Alliance Defense Fund, which was involved in the Mojave and Mount Soledad cases.” | ADF News Release

Redlands Daily Facts: “Joseph Infranco, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, said the Supreme Court’s decision sends a strong message to the 9th Circuit court. ‘If they do not straighten this out and get it right and allow the land transfer to stand, I’d be surprised if the Supreme Court does not overturn them again and slap their hand a little harder,’ Infranco said.” | ADF News Release

Christian Singles & Spirituality Examiner: “‘The ACLU and its allies should not be able to demolish war memorials based on the objection of one person who can’t seriously claim to have suffered harm from it,’ said ADF Senior Counsel [Jordan Lorence]. ‘Americans want memorials to our nations’ fallen heroes protected. Congress was doing just that when it transferred the land under this memorial to the veterans’ group that cares for it.’” | ADF News Release

Christian Examiner: “‘The ACLU and its allies should not be able to demolish war memorials based on the objection of one person who can’t seriously claim to have suffered harm from it,’ said ADF Senior Counsel Jordan Lorence. ‘Americans want memorials to our nation’s fallen heroes protected. Congress was doing just that when it transferred the land under this memorial to the veterans’ group that cares for it.’” | ADF News Release

LifeSiteNews: “The Family Research Council (FRC) and the Alliance Defense Fund Wednesday released a letter signed by the chaplains expressing concern over what they claim would be a threat to Christian free speech if the military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ (DADT) policy on open homosexuals in the military were to be lifted. Defense Secretary Gates confirmed in February that, acceeding to the wishes of the Obama administration, the Pentagon would begin taking steps towards repealing the Clinton-era DADT.” | ADF News Release

Talk Radio News: “‘This will create a conflict for the chaplains if they preach or council soldiers, airmen, sailors, etcetera, that marriage is only one man and one women [and] certain types of sexual behavior are immoral. They will be in conflict with military policy if this law is changed by Congress,’ said [Jordan Lorence] with the Alliance Defense Fund. ‘It is going to create a crisis of conscience for the chaplains [and] the people that they serve.’” | ADF News Release

Metro Weekly: “Scalia was – unsurprisingly – the most pointed in his questions but, more surprisingly to some, found himself on the same side of the argument as those LGBT groups and opposing the briefs filed by the Alliance Defense Fund and the National Organization for Marriage.”

LifeSiteNews: “A federal court ruled Thursday that the Bridgeton Board of Education should not have prohibited a student at Bridgeton High School from expressing a religious viewpoint on the 6th annual Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity. Alliance Defense Fund filed the lawsuit on behalf of the student in November of last year. ‘Pro-life students shouldn’t be discriminated against for expressing their beliefs,’ said ADF Senior Legal Counsel David Cortman.”

Hampton Roads Military: “First on Wednesday came the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian-based legal alliance of groups. It announced that more than 40 retired military chaplains have signed a letter to President Obama addressing ‘religious liberty concerns’ if ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is overturned.” | ADF News Release

ADF attorney Gary McCaleb appeard on KTVK 3 to provide an update on the status of efforts by the City of Phoenix to regulate ringing church bells. | 4 min. MP4 | ADF: Churches sue city of Phoenix over ordinance prohibiting ringing of church bells

The most recent edition of SCOTUS Blog Petitions to watch appears here.

AP: “The Military Religious Freedom Foundation asked the Army this week to change the emblem of Evans Army Community Hospital at Fort Carson, outside Colorado Springs.”

ADF attorney Daniel Blomberg appeared on the Michael Medved Show to discuss the Mojave cross ruling. | MP3 33:25 mins. | ADF: U.S. Supreme Court says Mojave Cross veterans’ memorial can stay | Veteran’s Memorial Project | Salazar ADF Media Information Page | SCOTUS Wiki | ADF: Military chaplains announce opposition to overturning ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law

ADF attorney Joe Infranco appeared on several radio shows yesterday to discuss the Supreme Court’s ruling in Salazar v. Buono. | 18 min MP3 on the Vicki McKenna Show | 9:53 min MP3 on Talk From the Heart with Rich Buhler | 12:21 min MP3 on the Georgene Rice Show | 12:48 min MP3 on the AFR Focal Point with Bryan Fischer | ADF: U.S. Supreme Court says Mojave Cross veterans’ memorial can stay | Veteran’s Memorial Project | Salazar ADF Media Information Page

AP: “Secretary of Defense Robert Gates notified lawmakers in mid-February that the Navy would be lifting the ban – unless Congress objected.” No objections were filed and the deadline has passed according to the report.

NCPA Policy Digest: “What could be worse news than public school teacher pensions across the country reporting an unfunded liability of over $330 billion, asks Josh Barro, the Walter B. Wriston Fellow at the Manhattan Institute? How about the fact that these reports understate the size of the liability by a factor of three? . . . ”

Pacific Justice Institute: “Michael Newdow is asking for an en banc review by the appellate court. Unlike other circuits, in the Ninth Circuit, an en banc panel consists of eleven judges chosen at random . . . ”

The Hill: “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has pledged to bring new campaign finance legislation to the Senate floor before July 4th, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Thursday.”

Randy Barnett writes at the Wall Street Journal: “First Congress said it was a regulation of commerce. Now it’s supposed to be a tax. Neither claim will survive Supreme Court scrutiny.”

ABC: “A hospital on Long Island issued an apology Wednesday for disciplining nurses who refused to participate in an abortion. Nassau University Medical Center now says the nurses did nothing wrong when they said they morally opposed taking part.”

Human Events: “Four incidents recently showed anew how keenly Islamic supremacists want to shut down the freedom of speech—and how eager many Americans are to accommodate them . . .”