Civil & Human Rights

Oregon AG will not defend the state’s same-sex marriage ban in court

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Oregon is the latest state to announce that it will not defend its same-sex marriage ban in court because it is unconstitutional in violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. Lyle Denniston at SCOTUSblog.com reports, Oregon ends defense of marriage ban:

EqualState officials in Oregon notified a federal court on Thursday that they will no longer defend the state’s ban on same-sex marriage, following similar switches by state officials in Nevada and Virginia.  The Oregon filing (.pdf) came in one of two consolidated cases in Eugene challenging the state ban, which was imposed by voters in 2004.

The key statement in the new Oregon document, which was in the form of an Answer to one of the lawsuits, said state officials “will not defend the Oregon ban on same-sex marriage in this litigation.  Rather, they will take the position in their summary judgment briefing that the ban cannot withstand a federal constitutional challenge under any standard of review.”  The paragraph added, though, that they would continue to enforce the ban as a legal duty unless and until it were struck down in court.  Officials had not made that statement in their response in December to the other case in the pair that are now being considered together.

Amicus brief urges U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the Religious Freedom Restoration Act

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

During yesterday's House debate of the Religious Bigotry bill, Tea-Publicans made several references to the Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. (13-354) case, which the U.S. Supreme Court will hear with the Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. v. Sebelius (13-356) case in oral arguments scheduled for March 25, 2014.

Issue: Whether the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000bb et seq., which provides that the government “shall not substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion” unless that burden is the least restrictive means to further a compelling governmental interest, allows a for-profit corporation to deny its employees the health coverage of contraceptives to which the employees are otherwise entitled by federal law, based on the religious objections of the corporation’s owners.

Tea-Publicans wielded "RFRA" like a sword in their arguments in favor of their Religious Bigotry bill.

Well, this amicus brief filed in these cases should cause their self-righteous hypocrite butts to pucker. Lyle Denniston at SCOTUSblog.com writes, Bold challenge to a law on religion:

Arguing that Congress has gone too far to push aside the Supreme Court’s constitutional role in religion cases, a loose coalition of child welfare organizations, survivors of clergy child sexual abuse, and non-believers has urged the Justices to strike down the Religious Freedom Restoration Act when it rules on a new dispute over the federal health care law.

The amicus brief, written by a prominent academic authority on religion and the law, Cardozo Law School’s Marci A. Hamilton, seeks to add a bold new dimension to the Court’s review of the Affordable Care Act’s “contraception mandate.”

Tucson’s Rocco’s Little Chicago Pizzeria protest goes viral

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Tucson's Rocco's Little Chicago Pizzeria has gone viral with its creative protest against the Religious Bigotry bill. https://www.facebook.com/roccoslittlechicago Huffington Post, Rocco's Little Chicago Pizzeria Serves Up Fantastic Response To Arizona's Anti-Gay Bill. Will someone please arrange to have these signs distributed to establishments in Phoenix/Tempe known to be frequented by our state … Read more

Action Alert: Religious Bigotry bill on House COW Calendar today

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The House calendar for the Committee of the Whole (COW) today includes Rep. "Fast Eddie" Farnsworth's House version of the Religious Bigotry bill, HB 2153, passed by Tea-Publicans in the Senate on Wednesday. Business takes place this afternoon.

Where are the "Mythical Moderate Republicans" in the Republican Party establishment and the business community, in particular, the chamber organizations? The "Mythical Moderate Republican" Ethan Orr (R-Tucson) will have to vote on this bill. LD 9 will be watching, E.Orr.

Other bills on the COW Calendar in the House today of note:

HB 2012, Rep. John Kavanagh's "vexatious litigation" bill that somehow exempts the Arizona Legislature and the "Kochtopus" Death Star, the Goldwater Institute, who file more vexatious litigation than anyone else.

HB 2058, Rep. John Kavanagh's bill to limit compensation under public pensions. This bill may be preempted by an Arizona Supreme Court decision to be announced today. Arizona high court to rule on judges' pensions.

HB 2107, Rep. John Kavanagh's bill regarding the number of candidate and ballot measure signatures in elections. This is the piecemeal approach to enacting HB 2305 that you have heard about.

“Emmett Down in My Heart” play for Black History Month

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Posted by Carolyn Classen   “Tucson Alliance of Dramatic Artists (TADA) presents the winner of their first annual play competition. Sheldon Metz, TADA’s artistic director, directs this production, the true story of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old boy who was killed in Mississippi in 1955 for supposedly whistling at a white woman. Emmett’s brutal murder triggered … Read more