Tag Archives: State: New Hampshire

Concord Monitor: Cohn and others believe the bill may pass the House but does not have the two-thirds majority to override a potential veto by Democratic Gov. John Lynch, who signed the bill three years ago legalizing same-sex marriage.

ADF Attorney Attorney Austin R. Nimocks appeared on AFR Focal Point with Bryan Fischer to discuss the marriage battles in Washington state and New Hampshire. | MP3 audio 12:25 minutes

Baptist Press: “It is time to get New Hampshire taxpayers out of the abortion business,” said Manchester, N.H., lawyer Michael Tierney, who is affiliated with the Alliance Defense Fund. “Planned Parenthood’s business model is centered on abortion, and New Hampshire taxpayers want no part in it.”

CBS Boston: New Hampshire business owners could soon have the legal right to decide who they serve.

Religion Clause: The National Center for Science Education reported last week that so far this year, six separate anti-evolution bills have been introduced . . .

OneNewsNow.com: Marilyn Musgrave of the Susan B. Anthony List tells OneNewsNow that her organization, working with Alliance Defense Fund, helped develop the legislation.

Huffington Post: The legislation was written by the Susan B. Anthony List and the Alliance Defense Fund, two conservative leaning national groups seeking to stop abortion in the United States. Shortly after the vote, the groups issued a statement taking credit for the bill.

EagleTribune.com: “The legislation will not be considered for a floor vote until February,” Bettencourt said in an email.

LifeNews.com: Michael Tierney, an Alliance Defense Fund-allied attorney in Manchester, New Hampshire who helped promote the language, added, “It is time to get New Hampshire taxpayers out of the abortion business. Planned Parenthood’s business model is centered on abortion, and New Hampshire taxpayers want no part in it.” Alliance Defense Fund Senior Counsel Mike Norton chimed in as well: “Every innocent life deserves to be protected. Taxpayer dollars should go toward helping and caring for the most vulnerable Americans, not killing them. New Hampshire taxpayers should not be forced to fund abortions.”

News from The Associated Press: Interviews across the state found GOP voters eager to replace President Barack Obama. But they’re also disillusioned with Washington in general and wary of politicians’ promises.

The Union Leader has posted this page.

MyFoxChicago (includes video): Two debates this weekend featured candidates complaining about Catholic charities being victimized by “anti-Christian bigotry.”

New Hampshire NEWS06: Beginning today, girls younger than 18 will have to notify a parent or guardian before they have an abortion.

New Hampshire NEWS06: Right-to-Life’s attorney Michael J. Tierney of Wadleigh, Starr & Peters, PLLC in Manchester, said . . . The Colorado-based Alliance Defense Fund filed an official protest with the U.S. Department of Human Services . . . In the protest, the ADF attorneys wrote, “the grant by HHS was improper, irregular, unnecessary, in contravention of the authority of the Executive Council and its duly elected members, and in disregard for the sovereignty of the state of New Hampshire.”

LifeNews.com: “I have no names for you, it’s presumptuous, I’m not the nominee,” Romney began, then adding, “There probably are 15 names of people, including Kelly Ayotte.”

ADF Attorney Michael Norton at Townhall: In a growing number of states around the country, legislators and other office holders are doing their best to stem the flow of taxpayer monies into Planned Parenthood’s coffers. And as they do this, it’s understood that they’re one judge away from having their legislation crippled or thrown out, and the financial lifeline to Planned Parenthood reopened.

Politico: Former Cornerstone Action executive director Kevin Smith tells John DiStaso he’s in the open seat race for governor.

Bay Windows: The executive director of the driving force behind New Hampshire’s same-sex marriage law announced Wednesday, Nov. 2 she is resigning due to insufficient funding drawn partly through the group’s national organization.

Boston.com (AP): The executive director of the driving force behind New Hampshire’s gay marriage law announced Wednesday she is resigning due to insufficient funding drawn partly through the group’s national organization.

Monitor Board of Contributors: Same-sex marriage is good for kids | Concord Monitor:
On Oct. 25, the House Judiciary Committee passed a bill to revoke the state’s same-sex marriage law and replace it with a poor excuse for civil unions. Proponents of same-sex marriage repeal insist over and over, like an annoying, online pop-up ad you can’t get rid of, that their measure is necessary for the welfare of New Hampshire’s children.

A proposal to repeal New Hampshire’s same-sex marriage law is on its way to the House of Representatives early next year.

Boston.com: A House panel votes Tuesday whether to recommend repealing New Hampshire’s gay marriage law and replacing it with civil unions for any unmarried adults including relatives.

The Hill: The Iowa Republican Party officially set its caucuses for Jan. 3, guaranteeing a standoff between New Hampshire and Nevada for timing of their early primary elections and pushing the primary season up against the holidays for the second consecutive presidential campaign.

ProLifeBlogs: “They didn’t even contact the Executive Council,” said Michael Norton, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), who was contacted by three members of the council last week. “The sovereign state of New Hampshire made a decision it believes is in the best interests of the citizens, and that decision has simply been run roughshod over by the Obama administration.”

Jill Stanek: After the New Hampshire Executive Council voted in June not to award a $1.8 million contract to Planned Parenthood of Northern New England for family planning services, PPNNE appealed to the Obama administration for help.

Concord Monitor: Cusson then sought the representation of the religious-freedom Alliance Defense Fund, who argued his sign should be treated like a gas price sign. In April, he won final approval from the zoning board.

New Hampshire NEWS06: The Colorado-based Alliance Defense Fund filed an official protest with the U.S. Department of Human Services and the federal Government Accountability Office on behalf of councilors Dan St. Hilaire, R-Concord; Ray Wieczorek, R-Manchester; and David Wheeler, R-Mason . . . In the protest, the ADF attorneys write “the Grant by HHS was improper, irregular, unnecessary, in contravention of the authority of the Executive Council and its duly elected members, and in disregard for the sovereignty of the State of New Hampshire.”

Gay City News > Anti-Gay Marriage NY Town Clerk Wangles Extraordinary Accommodation: “Town Clerk Rose Marie Belforti gave a memo for Town Clerks who are opposed to processing same-sex marriage applications based on religious beliefs to the Town Board,” she wrote. “The memo was from the Alliance Defense Fund, a nonprofit organization that defends the right to hear and speak the truth through strategy, training, funding, and litigation. She informed the Town Board that she would be compromising her Christian moral conscience if she were to participate in the same-sex marriage licensing procedure.”

ADF Attorney Michael J. Norton at the Christian Post Advancing Religious Liberty Blog: On behalf of the Executive Council of the State of New Hampshire, the Alliance Defense Fund has formally protested a grant of $1.1 million by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services directly to Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.

LifeNews.com: Three members of the Council, as represented by attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund, requested that HHS declare the grant void. In their complaint, they say “the Grant by HHS was improper, irregular, unnecessary, in contravention of the authority of the Executive Council and its duly

Boston.com: Represented by lawyers from the Alliance Defense Fund, Republican Councilors David Wheeler, Dan St. Hilaire and Ray Wieczorek asked the government on Wednesday to void the contract as contravening the state’s sovereign authority. They said there was no emergency or urgency in delivering the services.

The Republic: Represented by lawyers from the Alliance Defense Fund, Republican Councilors David Wheeler, Dan St. Hilaire and Ray Wieczorek asked the government on Wednesday to void the contract as contravening the state’s sovereign authority. They said there was no emergency or urgency in delivering the services.

NashuaTelegraph.com: Elsewhere on the Web, we find that Cornerstone has been most active in opposing the marriage equality law in New Hampshire. It has close ties with other conservative groups such as the Alliance Defense Fund, the Family Research Council and the National Organization for Marriage.

Religion Clause: In Signs for Jesus v. Town of Chichester, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 103430 (D NH, Sept. 13, 2011), a New Hampshire federal district court refused to grant costs and attorneys’ fees under 42 USC Sec. 1988 to a group that ultimately prevailed at the town Planning Board and obtained permission to put up an electronic message sign to display Christian Bible verses . . .

New Hampshire NEWS06: A House subcommittee Wednesday endorsed a bill that would repeal the state’s gay marriage law and bring back a form of civil unions.

Late Tuesday, the Obama administration made a decision to force New Hampshire taxpayers to fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business after the state’s Executive Council voted to revoke a $1.8 million contract.

LifeNews.com: Now, New Hampshire Executive Councilor David Wheeler says he is concerned New Hampshire Health Commissioner Nick Toumpas is conspiring with the Obama administration to go over the heads of the council to restore the funding.

Today, N.H. Health and Human Services Commissioner Nick Toumpas informed the council that the Obama administration is taking over the awarding of federal family planning grants and taking control of the recipient decision-making process New Hampshire had.

LifeNews.com: The health department in New Hampshire will not reinstate $1.8 million in taxpayer funding revoked earlier this summer by the Executive Council and that will likely cause the abortion business to close or scale back in the Granite State.

LifeNews.com: Two pro-life organizations are sponsoring a rally on Friday in New Hampshire in support of a decision by the Executive Council there to revoke a $1.8 million taxpayer-funded contract with the Planned Parenthood abortion business.

Christian Post: The Alliance Defense Fund sent a letter to Livingston, New Jersey officials and urged them to stop using ordinance laws to prohibit Racaniello from displaying the Christian cross in his yard . . . The ADF letter states . . .

LifeNews.com: Last week, the members of the Executive Council rejected a taxpayer funded contract with the Planned Parenthood abortion business but it appears the members will have to vote again on voiding the 1.8 million contract.

LifeNews.com: New Hampshire Governor John Lynch has vetoed a bill that would allow parents to know when their minor daughter is considering an abortion, so they could help the young girls find better alternatives.

NECN: Legislation to reinstate a requirement for pregnant girls seeking abortions to tell their parents first is headed to the desk of New Hampshire Gov. John Lynn following its passage by the state Senate.

LifeSiteNews.com: Following is a list of recent pro-life legislative gains on the state level . . .

Boston Globe: The Senate is voting this week whether New Hampshire should reinstate a requirement that girls first tell their parents or a judge before getting an abortion.

One News Now: A New Hampshire church is going to the state Supreme Court over Concord officials’ attempt to tax part of its property . . . And Pastor Guzofski admits he is not relieved to learn from Alliance Defense Fund attorneys that his situation is similar to others around the country, where local governments are trying to find ways to tax churches.

AP: New Hampshire’s Senate has voted unanimously to reject changes to the state’s anti-bullying law, such as limiting school responsibility in dealing with off-campus incidents.

Boston Globe: The contrast could not have been clearer . . . Where Trump was greeted by a horde of reporters, only a handful came to hear Paul speak before the Merrimack County Republican Committee at a Holiday Inn here. And where Trump is heavy on the style and oftentimes light on the substance, Paul delivered a policy-rich speech in a dry tone . . .

LifeNews: A bill to allow parents the ability to know when their minor daughters are considering an abortion is advancing in the New Hampshire legislature and is expected to eventually get to Governor Lynch’s desk.

Days after Republican Congressmen in Washington abandoned the effort to strip Planned Parenthood of its federal funds, the battle continues in state legislatures across the country.

Cunningham, Clark D., Should American Law Schools Continue to Graduate Lawyers Whom Clients Consider Worthless? (2011). Maryland Law Review, Vol. 70, p. 101, 2011; Georgia State University College of Law, Legal Studies Research Paper . Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1805936

Greenfield Reporter: A Senate committee will hear from the public this week whether New Hampshire should reinstate a requirement that girls first tell their parents or a judge before getting an abortion.

AP: epublicans have moved quickly to convert November election gains to legislative advances in the states. A look at some GOP successes, and setbacks, in the first months of the new order . . .

One News Now: City zoning officials shouldn’t prohibit street signs for Christian organizations just because the message displayed happens to communicate something religious,” argues ADF attorney Joe Infranco. “Signs for Jesus” was prohibited for ten months because town officials thought the “objectionable” messages would be a distraction for motorists — until ADF became involved

Boston Globe: A bill that would end the practice of requiring non-union members to pay a share of collective bargaining costs in New Hampshire won the support of a key Senate committee Tuesday.

Concord Monitor: In response, the Alliance Defense Fund, a religious-freedom group representing Cusson, filed a federal lawsuit in Concord arguing that Cusson’s sign should be treated no differently than gas price signs at the same intersection.

ADF-allied attorney’s lawsuit prompts Chichester to approve sign originally rejected for its ‘dangerous,’ ‘distracting’ religious content

NH Journal: “Republican State Rep. and Tea Party leader Andrew Manuse (R-Derry) told the Catholic League he will be filing legislation in the New Hampshire House to strip the Roman Catholic Church of its tax exempt status because Bishop John McCormack spoke against proposed budget cuts at a recent State House rally, according to Bill Donohue, the President of the Catholic League.”

Oregon Faith Report: Georgene Rice interviews Joseph Infranco with the Alliance Defense Fund to discuss greater implications of a recent New Hampshire Supreme Court Ruling that forced a home school student into a government run school against her mother’s wishes. The court made clear it was not addressing larger religious liberty or home school issues, but rather on the narrow facts of the case.

AP: It dismissed the case Wednesday, saying he lacks standing to sue because his Medicare coverage automatically satisfies the law’s health insurance mandate.

Reuters: Thousands of protesters rallied outside the New Hampshire Capitol in Concord on Thursday to oppose budget bills they say curb collective bargaining rights for state workers.

ADF attorney Joe Infranco appeared on the Rich Buhler Show to discuss this: NH Supreme Court sidesteps critical religious liberty issue in homeschooler case. | MP3 audio 14:00 mins

Yahoo News: “According to the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), allied with the mother’s attorney, the New Hampshire’s Supreme Court has previously stated that American home education is a tradition and a right.”

The New American: While home school advocates were concerned the case might set a precedent for other courts to force home schooled children to attend public school, Joseph Infranco, senior counsel for ADF, predicted that because the state court limited its decision to the facts in the case, the ruling could not be used “as a battering-ram against religious liberty or home schooling — and ADF will be vigilant to make sure that it’s not.”

ADF attorney Joe Infranco appeared on the George Rice Show to discuss this: NH Supreme Court sidesteps critical religious liberty issue in homeschooler case. | MP3 audio 11:31 mins

LifeSite News carries this roundup and report on the various states.

Baptist Press: Joseph Infranco, senior counsel for ADF, said, “Although we strongly disagree with the court’s decision for this family and do not believe the trial court should have considered religion as it did, we appreciate that the Supreme Court limited its decision to the facts of this case. This decision cannot be used as a battering-ram against religious liberty or homeschooling, and ADF will be vigilant to make sure that it’s not.”

BeliefNet: “The lower court held the Christian faith of this mother and daughter against them,” said Simmons, who is affiliated with the conservative Alliance Defense Fund. “Unfortunately, the Supreme Court bypassed this issue and wrote this off as a `parent versus parent’ issue without recognizing the very real underlying threat to religious liberty.”

One News Now: “Although we were disappointed with the outcome, we think at least the [New Hampshire] Supreme Court got the message and did not say anything in the decision in any way that would harm either home schooling or the religious considerations of a parent in schooling their children,” he explains. “So I think in a sense, although it was a loss, at least the court recognized the dangers and avoided those.” Infranco adds that “this decision cannot be used as a battering-ram against religious liberty or home schooling — and ADF will be vigilant to make sure that it’s not.”

LifeSiteNews: “Parents have a fundamental right to make educational choices for their children,” responded Simmons. “Courts can settle disputes, but they cannot legitimately order a child into a government-run school on the basis that her religious views need to be mixed with other views. That’s precisely what the lower court admitted it was doing.”
“The lower court held the Christian faith of this mother and daughter against them,” Simmons said. “Unfortunately, the Supreme Court bypassed this issue and wrote this off as a ‘parent versus parent’ issue without recognizing the very real underlying threat to religious liberty.” Nevertheless, ADF Senior Counsel Joseph Infranco said that the law firm appreciates the Supreme Court’s choice to limit “its decision to the facts of this case,” which should ensure that the decision “cannot be used as a battering-ram against religious liberty or homeschooling.” The “ADF will be vigilant to make sure that it’s not,” he concluded.

Christian Post: John Anthony Simmons, the Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney in the case, expressed appreciation that the Supreme Court “limited its decision to the facts of this case.” . . . “Parents have a fundamental right to make educational choices for their children. Courts can settle disputes, but they cannot legitimately order a child into a government-run school on the basis that her religious views need to be mixed with other views. That’s precisely what the lower court admitted it was doing,” he said. “The lower court held the Christian faith of this mother and daughter against them. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court bypassed this issue and wrote this off as a ‘parent versus parent’ issue without recognizing the very real underlying threat to religious liberty.”

Religion Clause Blog: “Alliance Defense Fund issued a press release on the decision.”

“And the decision strikes me as constitutionally troublesome, whether implemented in broken families or in intact families.”

World Net Daily: Lawyers with the Alliance Defense Fund, who had argued in the case that the clear religious bias against Christianity expressed by a guardian ad litem and adopted by the court was reason to reverse the decision, said the justices ignored the evidence. “Parents have a fundamental right to make educational choices for their children,” said allied attorney John Anthony Simmons in a statement released by the organization. “Courts can settle disputes, but they cannot legitimately order a child into a government-run school on the basis that her religious views need to be mixed with other views. “That’s precisely what the lower court admitted it was doing,” Simmons said. “The lower court held the Christian faith of this mother and daughter against them. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court ignored this issue and wrote this off as a ‘parent versus parent’ issue without recognizing the very real underlying threat to religious liberty.”