A federal judge blocked Arkansas’ controversial abortion bill on Tuesday. The Court wants to consider the challenge to its constitutionality. The bill would have been effective starting Friday. “Since the record at this stage of the proceedings indicates that women seeking abortions in Arkansas face an imminent threat to their …
Read More »Justice Stephen Breyer Hasn’t Decided Whether To Retire
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer told CNN in an interview that there are only two factors that will dictate whether he retires — health and the court. Justice Breyer, the oldest member of the Court, says that he feels no pressure and has no plans to step down. The eighty-three-year-old …
Read More »House Democrats Introduce ‘Inclusive Elections Act of 2021’
Congressmen Mondaire Jones of New York and Ruben Gallego of Arizona have introduced the Inclusive Elections Act of 2021, legislation to restore Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which bars states and localities from adopting election laws that disparately burden the voting rights of people of color and linguistic minorities. The …
Read More »Supreme Court Upholds Two Restrictive Voting Laws In Arizona
On Thursday, in a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of two restrictive voting laws in Arizona that can directly impact the voting process for minorities. In the majority opinion, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that “mere inconvenience cannot be enough to demonstrate a violation.” The justice acknowledged that …
Read More »Clarence Thomas says federal marijuana laws may no longer be needed
Federal regulations on marijuana may “no longer be necessary” as individual states enact their own laws on its use and sale, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in an opinion Monday. Thomas, one of the high court’s most conservative justices, cited what he called the federal government’s “half-in, half-out” approach …
Read More »Texas Governor Sued Over Defunding Of Legislature
Texas House Democrats are asking the state’s Supreme Court to overturn Gov. Greg Abbott’s veto of a budget provision that funds the Legislature, charging that his action was unconstitutional. The suit argues that Abbott’s veto, which could lead to about 2,000 legislative staffers not being paid for two years, violates …
Read More »SCOTUS rules unanimously in LGBTQ+ rights vs. religious liberty case
The Supreme Court said Philadelphia violated the First Amendment when it cut ties with a Catholic group that discriminated against LGBTQ+ couples. Kate Sosin Originally published by The 19th In a unanimous ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that Philadelphia violated the First Amendment’s protections for free exercise of religion …
Read More »Education Department says LGBTQ Students Are Protected By Title IX
The Department of Education announced on Wednesday that LGBTQ students are protected from discrimination at school by Title IX. “Today, the Department makes clear that all students – including LGBTQ+ students – deserve the opportunity to learn and thrive in schools that are free from discrimination,” Miguel Cardona, Education Secretary, …
Read More »McConnell: GOP-Controlled Senate Would Block Supreme Court Nominee
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested that should Republicans regain control of the Senate after the 2022 midterms, they would not confirm Supreme Court nominee if a vacancy were to become available. “I think it’s highly unlikely — in fact, no, I don’t think either party, if it were different from …
Read More »President Biden Nominated More Minority And Women Judges In Four Months Than Trump Did In Four Years
President Joe Biden has selected more minority and women judges than former President Donald Trump did in four years. Fifteen of his nineteen nominees are women, and eleven of the women are from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. “This trailblazing slate of nominees draws from the very best and brightest …
Read More »Democrats Reintroduce The Women’s Health Protection Act
Congressional Democrats have reintroduced the Women’s Health Protection Act to protect abortion access around the United States. The bill was first introduced in 2013. The federal legislation would codify Roe v. Wade in law and establish the legal right to abortion in all 50 states under federal law. The legislation guarantees …
Read More »Texas Governor Greg Abbott Signs ‘Fetal Heartbeat’ Bill
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill on Wednesday that bans abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected. Women in Texas will only be able to have abortions if no heartbeat is detected or if there is a medical emergency. Fetal heartbeats can be detected as early as six weeks …
Read More »Texas House Rejects Budget Amendment To Expand Healthcare Coverage
The Texas House rejected a proposal that would have allowed the state to use billions in federal dollars to provide healthcare coverage to uninsured Texans. Democrat State Representative Garnet Coleman who sponsored the amendment said a federal funding agreement would help to provide coverage for Texans. Texas has the highest …
Read More »California Supreme Court Ends Cash Bail System For Some Defendants
The California Supreme Court ruled Thursday that judges must consider suspects’ ability to pay when they set bail. The ruling essentially requires defendants be freed unless they are deemed too dangerous to be released awaiting trial. “The common practice of conditioning freedom solely on whether an arrestee can afford bail is …
Read More »Supreme Court To Review Boston Marathon Bomber’s Death Penalty Case
The Supreme Court has decided to review the Boston Marathon bomber’s death penalty case. A lower court opinion has just been brought back to the forefront, suggesting the death penalty as a sentence for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Tsarnaev is one of the brothers convicted in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. The …
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