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Gov. Brewer still hatin’ on the DREAMers

July 19, 2014July 19, 2014 by AZ BlueMeanie

After Governor Brewer recently lost in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals over her executive order to deny driver’s licenses to individuals qualified for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program aka the DREAMers under President Obama’s executive order, the Arizona Republic editorialized Save the headache, governor, and let ‘dreamers’ drive.

Just as this old crone gave President Obama the boney finger on the tarmac, she has now given the editors of The Republic and every DREAMer her boney middle-finger salute. This woman must really hate kids for breathing while brown. Governor seeking reconsideration of license ruling:

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer asked an appeals court Friday to reconsider its earlier ruling that blocked her policy denying driver’s licenses to young immigrants who have avoided deportation under an Obama administration policy.

10th Circuit Court of Appeals rules marriage equality is OK in Oklahoma

July 18, 2014 by AZ BlueMeanie

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit has upheld the January 2014 U.S. District Court for Oklahoma ruling in Bishop v. Smith striking down that state’s same-sex marriage ban as unconstitutional, in a 2-1 decision. The opinion is by Judge Carlos Lucero. Read the opinion Here (.pdf).

The panel that decided this case, Judges Carlos Lucero, Jerome Holmes and Paul Kelly, are the same three judges who heard the Utah case of Kitchen v. Herbert. Judges Lucero and Holmes voted to strike down both states’ marriage bans. Judge Kelly dissented. The court has stayed its decision to allow the parties to seek U.S. Supreme Court review.

Gov. Brewer: state will appeal education funding ruling

July 19, 2014July 18, 2014 by AZ BlueMeanie

Last week, the Maricopa County Superior Court ruled against our lawless legislature and governor. the Arizona Republic reported, Arizona schools win $1.6 billion in court fight:

Arizona’s public schools are due an additional $317 million in funding for the coming budget year, a court ruled Friday, a decision that could cost the state an extra $1.6 billion over the next five years.

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The Ruling on school funding (.pdf) by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Kathleen Cooper comes after the state Supreme Court last year ruled the Legislature failed to honor the direction voters gave in 2000, when they approved a ballot measure calling for annual inflation adjustments to the school-funding formula.

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Cooper, following the direction set by the Supreme Court, ordered the state to adjust base funding for schools in the coming fiscal year to $3,560 per student, a collective increase of about $317 million.

GOP War on Women: Senate Republicans filibuster birth-control bill

July 17, 2014 by AZ BlueMeanie

Oh, lord, the Arizona Daily Star’s creative headlines writer strikes again. Why hasn’t this editor been fired for incompetence?

The print edition of the Star today (as opposed to the online version) contains this story caption to an AP report: Democrats fail in birth-control reversal. Oy!

The only factually accurate headline for this story is “Senate Republicans filibuster birth-control bill.” In a real democracy, the bill actually passed the Senate with a majority of votes, 56-43.

And to AP reporter Donna Cassata: you should not suggest or imply that 60 votes is required or regular in the Senate. This is a GOP abuse of the Senate filibuster rules to obstruct legislation, an historic abuse unmatched in American history. Your reporting does not even use the word “filibuster,” nor does it point out the historic abuse of the Senate filibuster rules by the GOP.

Florida judge in Key West strikes down state’s same-sex marriage ban

July 17, 2014July 17, 2014 by AZ BlueMeanie

Alright you Parrotheads, the Tallahassee Democrat (great name for a newspaper) reports this morning Ruling allows same-sex marriages for Florida Keys:

A judge in the Florida Keys overturned the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage on Thursday after a legal challenge by gay couples said it effectively made them second-class citizens.

The ruling by Circuit Judge Luis M. Garcia applies only to Monroe County, which primarily consists of the Keys, and will certainly be appealed. The lawsuit contended that the same-sex marriage ban approved overwhelmingly by voters in 2008 violated the federal 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law. The judge said licenses could not be issued until Tuesday at the earliest.

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Gay marriage proponents have won more than 20 legal decisions around the country since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act last year, although those rulings remain in various stages of appeal. Many legal experts say the U.S. Supreme Court may ultimately have to decide the question for all states.

Currently, 19 states and the District of Columbia have legalized same-sex marriage.