Courts & Law

Arizona’s abortion wars continue in court

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Last week, U.S. District Court Judge David Bury refused to enjoin Arizona’s new restrictions on medication induced abortions set to take effect on April 1, while he decides the legal issues before him.

6a00d8341bf80c53ef01910386dd8c970c-320wiJudge Bury wrote that Arizona’s rules will not unduly burden a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion, since the alternative of surgical abortions remains available. The fact that some women may have to travel hundreds of miles to clinics, twice, under the restrictions, and that the process will cost more, he wrote, “do not qualify as irreparable harm.” Uh-huh.

Planned Parenthood of Arizona appealed the denial of an injunction to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which immediately granted the request for a temporary injunction to block the new state regulations from going into effect. 9th Circuit Temporarily Grants Block of New AZ Abortion Rules. Arizona Attorney General Tom “banned for life by the SEC” Horne moved the appellate court to set aside its temporary injunction and allow the new state regulations to go into effect. Horne asks court to lift a stay on enforcing new abortion restrictions.

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Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals to hear same-sex marriage cases beginning this week

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Pride-Flag-Thumbnail-Friday-3x2-256x171As I have previously posted, there are three same-sex marriage appeals to be heard by the Courts of Appeal over the next month, beginning this week:

  • The Tenth Circuit has scheduled oral arguments in Kitchen v. Herbert, the Utah case, to be heard on Thursday, April 10, 2014.
  • The Tenth Circuit has scheduled oral arguments in Bishop v. Smith, the Oklahoma case, to be heard on Thursday, April 17.
  • The Fourth Circuit has scheduled oral arguments in Bostik v. Rainey, the Virginia case, for Tuesday May 13.
  • The Ninth Circuit has cancelled oral arguments in Sevcik v. Sandoval, the Nevada case, pending the determination of a request for en banc hearing in another matter, SmithKline Beecham Corp. v. Abbott Laboratories.

Some previews of the Tenth Circuit Court cases can be found at the Denver Post, Federal judges reviewing gay marriage appeals in Denver appointed, the Salt Lake Tribune, Observer: Panel on Utah gay marriage case ‘slightly’ conservative, and the Tulsa World, Oklahoma and Utah same-sex marriage appeals will be this month in federal appeals court.

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U.S. Supreme Court rejects two right-wing appeals

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A couple of appeals brought by right-wing organizations with hopes that the U.S. Supreme Court would agree to hear their cases had their hopes dashed today when the Court denied their appeals.

6a00d8341bf80c53ef01901df0a0f0970b-120wiThe first case is Elane Photography v. Willock, involving a wedding photographer’s refusal to photograph a lesbian couple’s wedding-style ceremony. This is the case  most celebrated by Tea-Publicans in the Arizona legislature (along with the Colorado bakery case) for their unanimous support for SB 1062, the Religious Bigotry bill eventually vetoed by Governor Brewer.

The Washington Post reports, Supreme Court won’t review gay commitment photo case:

The Supreme Court Monday declined to consider whether a New Mexico photographer had a free-speech right to refuse service to a same-sex couple who wanted her to record their commitment ceremony.

Without comment, the court said it would not review a decision by the New Mexico Supreme Court that the denial of service violated the state’s public accommodations law, which bans discrimination by those offering their services to the public.

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The Plutocracy is already here

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How often have you heard people complain “Why doesn’t government reflect the views of the people?” Or put another way, why doesn’t government enact laws that a majority of Americans clearly support and desire? (i.e.,  raise the minimum wage, comprehensive immigration reform, etc.)

How is it that politicians do not represent the interests of the majority of American citizens? The answer is simple: money.

The vast majority of Americans do not contribute money to politicians, and politicians listen to the people who do contribute to their campaigns.

OpenSecrets.org broke down total campaign contributions in 2012, Donor Demographics:

Only a tiny fraction of Americans actually give campaign contributions to political candidates, parties or PACs. The ones who give contributions large enough to be itemized (over $200) is even smaller. The impact of those donations, however, is huge.

Screenshot from 2014-04-05 16:41:00

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The Arizona Republic for the plutocracy!

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The editorial page of the Arizona Republic is once again schizophrenic.

On Thursday, the Republic feigned outrage at the U.S. Supreme Court and Arizona Supreme Court for the recent campaign finance limits opinions. The editorial board opined After ‘McCutcheon,’ we need more disclosure (weak tea). E.J. Montini wrote Supreme Court: Ben Franklin is out, ‘benjamins’ are in . And even Laurie Roberts wrote A banner day for big money in politics, taking issue with her sister, Arizona Supreme Court Justice Ann Timmer, who authored the state court opinion. That must make for fun times at family dinners!

TheodoreRooseveltBut these opinions do not reflect the actual views of the Arizona Republic, which is the media arm of the Arizona Republican Party. Today, the actual views of the Arizona Republic were expressed by the Rush Limbaugh of The Republic, Doug MacEachern, and George Will’s mini-me, the patrician prevaricator for the plutocracy, Robert Robb (formerly employed by the “Kochtopus” Death Star, the Goldwater Institute, and the Arizona Chamber of Commerce).

Doug MacEachern drifts off into yet another senile conspiracy theory about the IRS, and bemoans the unfairness of people being upset about the über-rich wealthy elite corporate plutocrats destroying democracy to replace it with a plutocracy — They are our betters! Shame! Campaign finance reform: Control the OTHER guy.

George Will’s mini-me writes Judges overcomplicate right choices on campaign limits, and can barely contain his dripping disdain for all you “self-proclaimed good government types.” Plutocracy is good for you. So just shut up and accept it.

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