The legal battle to determine the constitutionality of one-man, one-woman marriage began in a San Francisco federal courthouse in mid-January. The challenge is to Proposition 8, which California voters approved in November 2008. There already has been an unusual twist, according to Jordan Lorence, an attorney defending the amendment. “What is significant, and somewhat unusual, is that the judge asked a lot of questions,” Lorence said. “You don’t have judges interrupting the opening arguments.” The Supreme Court of California created same-sex marriage in 2008, even though the justices knew the issue was about to go to a vote. Ron Prentice, […]

Despite assurances by President Obama that the debate over health care reform would be a public one, Democrats are moving to close the meetings to the public. The House and Senate passed different versions of the health care reform bill, and those differences must now be resolved in committee. Rules in both the House and Senate say conference committee meetings must be open to the public, and multiple promises were made during Obama’s presidential campaign that negotiations on health care would be an open process and televised. But after a meeting with her leadership team, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said […]

The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear a case concerning a Texas school district policy that bans students from wearing clothes that declare a political position. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the school dress code. The high court rejected a Dallas high school student’s appeal. Paul Palmer sued the Waxahachie Independent School District for political censorship. The district wouldn’t allow Palmer to wear a T-shirt supporting then-presidential candidate John Edwards. Kelly Shackelford, chief counsel for Liberty Legal Institute, said the rulings are a “punch in the gut to freedom.” “If you don’t have a right to free […]

On Jan. 12, Gov. Bob Riley said he will not be hustled into believing video slot machines are the answer to state revenue problems. “I can’t imagine anyone who thinks the best way to help our economy is to have Alabamans lose billions of dollars gambling,” he said in his annual State of the State address. The Alabama Baptist Convention (ABC) held a News conference announcing a resolution against gambling legislation. The group spoke out against the continued push by out-of-state slot manufacturers trying to gain ground in local communities, and is asking the Legislature not to pass any laws […]

New Hampshire has two proposed laws dealing with same-sex marriage. “One (bill) would repeal the same-sex marriage law enacted last year,” said Kevin Smith, executive director of Cornerstone Action. “The other would put the question of a constitutional amendment to give the people of New Hampshire a chance to finally have their say on the issue.” There’s also a grassroots movement of people petitioning their local town governments to put the question on the ballot, according to Smith. “Now it would be non-binding, but it would certainly be significant and symbolic for the townspeople to go and vote on it […]

Following weeks of criticism from the homosexual community, the Obama Justice Department filed a legal brief in September arguing that children do not necessarily need a mother and a father and that same-sex households are equivalent to traditional households for child-rearing. The legal brief, perhaps ironically, was filed in defense of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, although the brief made clear that the administration believes the 1996 law is “discriminatory” and it “supports its repeal.” DOMA, as it is often called, gives states the option of banning “gay marriage” and prevents the federal government from recognizing such relationships. It’s […]