Not One, But Three: All Versions Of FADA Sanction Discrimination In The Name Of "Religious Liberty"

The legislators pushing FADA have realized just how egregious it is and have floated two other proposals that might make it better at the margins—but at heart, they still sanction discrimination under the guise of religion.

Inappropriate Appropriations: U.S. House Approves Spending Bill Limiting Reproductive Rights While Boosting School Vouchers And Pulpit Politicking

The U.S. House of Representatives passed an important appropriations bill (HR 5485) on Thursday that will help fund the federal government for the next year. Tucked into this legislation are three troubling provisions that would weaken church-state separation and harm true religious liberty.

    Congress Should Learn From FADA Backlash In The States

    The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform announced that it will hold a hearing on HR 2802, the deceptively named First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), on July 12. The Committee’s decision to hold this hearing is surprising given the backlash that states have faced when trying to pass and enact their own FADA legislation

    Federal FADA Hearing Set for July 12

    It's official: Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, announced that he has scheduled a hearing on this harmful legislation for July 12, 2016 at 10:00 AM.

    Keeping Secrets?: Kim Davis Accused Of Violating Ky. Open-Records Law

    Kim Davis’ legal woes aren’t quite over yet. The office of the State Attorney General announced yesterday that the embattled Rowan County clerk may have violated the Kentucky Open Records Act when she refused to comply with a records request from a Washington, D.C.-based government watchdog.

    Religious Hospital Mergers: Hazardous to Your Health?

    A new MergerWatch report reveals only 10 states require any governmental review before hospital systems can merge and eliminate much-needed health services. Because of this lack of oversight, religious hospitals can swallow up secular institutions and impose religiously motivated restrictions without warning.

    File Under: Troubling. Congress To Hold Hearing on Unconstitutional Bill

    Congress intends to hold a hearing on the federal First Amendment Defense Act, which sanctions discrimination against same-sex couples, unmarried couples, married couples in which one person had been married before, single mothers, and individuals who have had sex outside of marriage. 

    Discrimination Defeated!: A Miss. Law That Used ‘Religious Freedom’ To Undermine Rights Is Struck Down

    A Mississippi law that purported to defend “religious freedom” by allowing state officials and others to discriminate against LGBT residents was scheduled to go into effect today. That won’t be happening, thanks to a federal court ruling.

    District Judge Grants Preliminary Injunction Barring Mississippi's "Religious Liberty" Law

    A district judge granted a preliminary injunction that bars the state from enforcing Mississippi’s HB 1523, which was set to go into effect July 1.

    Lawsuit Challenges Religiously Based Restrictions on Unaccompanied Children’s Access to Healthcare

    A lawsuit filed last week challenges the U.S.Government’s decision to sanction religiously based restrictions on vital healthcare provided to unaccompanied immigrant children and teens.

    Federal Judge: Obergefell Will Be Enforced In Mississippi

    Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves blocked a key provision of Mississippi’s HB 1523 that was scheduled to take effect this Friday. The new law—which Americans United has opposed since its introduction in February—would create sweeping religious exemptions for those who object to marriage equality, including county clerks who refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

    Supreme Court Will Not Hear Case About Contraception And Religious Exemptions

    Today the Supreme Court rejected an appeal of pharmacists who claimed dispensing emergency contraceptives, including Plan B, under Washington state’s regulations requiring pharmacies to provide lawfully prescribed drugs, would violate their religious beliefs. 

    Legislative Blowback: One Year Later, States Are Trying To Undermine The Marriage Equality Ruling

    Yesterday we celebrated the one-year anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark Supreme Court decision that made marriage equality the law of the landToday we want to remind you that there’s still much work to do.

    Federal Court Refuses To Halt Enforcement of Mississippi's "Religious Liberty" Bill

    A federal court in Mississippi has refused to halt enforcement of HB 1523, the Mississippi law passed in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s upholding marriage equality last year. The bill is apparently the brainchild of a Religious Right organization that has litigated denial-of-service cases across the country.