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April 9, 2012 6:14 pm | By Jen Herrick
UPDATE: Standing up for the freedom to marry, access to healthcare, and immigration equality
UPDATE: Frances and Takako and Tim and Edwin are among five plaintiff couples suing the federal government in a new challenge to the federal-recognition component of the Defense of Marriage Act, filed by Immigration Equality and the law firm of…
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April 6, 2012 7:52 pm | By Miranda Blue
Walker Steps Up War on WI Women With Repeal of Equal Pay Provision
In July 2009, Wisconsin passed a law making it easier for victims of pay discrimination to seek justice in court. Today, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill repealing the segment of the law: The 2009 Equal Pay Enforcement Act…
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April 5, 2012 10:26 pm | By Miranda Blue
Yes, There is a War on Women
In an interview with Bloomberg today, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Preibus claimed that accusing the Republican Party of waging a “war on women” is as absurd as accusing them of a “war on caterpillars”: “If the Democrats said we…
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April 4, 2012 8:32 pm | By Paul Gordon
Death of a Ninth Circuit Judge
The death several days ago of Robert Beezer, an 83 year-old senior judge on the Ninth Circuit, highlights the lengths to which semi-retired judges have been going to help ease the crushing caseload burden on their fellow jurists. The LA…
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April 4, 2012 8:15 pm | By Paul Gordon
Stripped of Dignity by the Roberts Court
Last week, the Supreme Court's arch-conservatives made professions of deep concern for the right of the individual to be left alone from a government mandate to purchase insurance. Less than a week later, in yesterday's 5-4 Florence v. Board of…
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April 4, 2012 5:50 pm | By Ben Betz
Wisconsin: GOP Presidential Primary Shows Where the Energy Isn’t
In yesterday's primary election in Wisconsin -- a major defining event in the long, often ugly GOP presidential contest -- less Wisconsin voters turned out to vote in the Republican primary (under 720,000) than signed the petition to recall Gov.…
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March 30, 2012 7:26 pm | By Paul Gordon
Scalia Tests Americans’ Faith in the U.S. Court System
The Supreme Court arguments this week were an excellent opportunity for Americans to see the importance of the courts. With the entire nation paying attention, the nine Justices had a chance to demonstrate how judges, as neutral arbiters, have a…
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March 30, 2012 2:48 pm | By Justin
Ryan Budget “Robin Hood In Reverse”
“We think America is on the wrong track,” said Chairman of the House Budget Committee Paul Ryan (R-WI) as his budget plan passed the House on a party-line vote. “We think the president is bringing us to a debt crisis…
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March 30, 2012 1:29 pm | By Drew Courtney
RNC Figures Out the Best Way to Attack Obamacare: Lie
Yesterday, the Republican National Committee released a web ad featuring the voice of Solicitor General Donald Verrilli haltingly defending the Affordable Care Act. After saying that “For more than 80 percent of Americans, the, ah, insurance system does provide effective…
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March 29, 2012 9:13 pm | By Miranda Blue
Energy Builds Around Recall Effort in Wisconsin
Last year, Wisconsin voters recalled two state senators who had backed Gov. Scott Walker’s attacks on working families. This year, Wisconsinites have put the governor himself up for recall, along with four of his anti-worker allies in the state legislature.…
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March 29, 2012 8:58 pm | By Justin
Protesting ALEC’s Deadly “Shoot First” Laws
Over 100 activists rallied in Washington DC today to call for justice for Trayvon Martin. The people gathered had another point to make as well: Americans are fed up with ALEC’s pernicious influence in writing pro-corporate legislation and pushing it…
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March 29, 2012 7:31 pm | ByAmerican Apartheid? The Republican “Dream” Scheme
Originally published atHuffington Post. The Senate GOP seems to be banking on the assumption that Latino voters are stupid, or don't read the fine print -- or are not paying any attention at all. Panicking from a series of polls…
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March 28, 2012 9:17 pm | By Justin
Activists to Rally at ALEC HQ in Honor of Trayvon Martin
Tomorrow, activists and progressive organizations will descend on the headquarters of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in Washington, DC to protest the NRA-designed “Shoot First” laws that ALEC has shopped to state legislatures around the country. As Calvin posted…
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March 28, 2012 8:39 pm | By Paul Gordon
Roberts Court Limits Privacy Act Protections
This morning, in FAA v. Cooper, the five arch-conservatives engaged in Olympic-quality legal gymnastics to find a way – any way – to limit individuals’ ability to sue for the damages they suffer when the federal government illegally releases personal…
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March 28, 2012 4:40 pm | By Miranda Blue
Sekulow Feigns Outrage at Challenge to Conservative Justices
PFAW Senior Fellow Jamie Raskin went on Fox News last night to discuss the Supreme Court oral arguments on the Affordable Care Act with Sean Hannity and the American Center for Law & Justice’s Jay Sekulow. Unsurprisingly, Sen. Raskin didn’t…
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March 28, 2012 2:46 pm | By Miranda BluePFAW’s Jamie Raskin Discusses Health Care Arguments on MSNBC
People For the American Way Senior Fellow Jamie Raskin joined Ed Schultz last night to discuss Tuesday’s Supreme Court arguments on the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate. Watch: Yesterday, Sen. Raskin discussed the case in more detail in the Huffington…
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March 28, 2012 2:11 pm | By Jen Herrick
Fight for immigration equality extends to the customs line
In other immigration news, US Customs and Border Protection is working to eliminate the discrimination faced by LGBT couples and families who currently aren’t recognized when they go through the customs line. When you get a customs form, it clearly…
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March 27, 2012 10:03 pm | By Paul Gordon
Disturbing Campaign Literature in Maryland
The anti-gay National Organization for Marriage is being widely condemned as Americans learn from previously secret organizational documents the lengths it is willing to go in order to turn one community of Americans against another. This week, campaign literature from…
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March 27, 2012 9:43 pm | By Jen Herrick
Standing up for the freedom to marry, access to healthcare, and immigration equality
Judge Jeffrey White of the Northern District of California, a Bush nominee, ruled last month against the federal-recognition component of the Defense of Marriage Act, saying: The Court has found that DOMA unconstitutionally discriminates against same-sex married couples. In so…
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March 27, 2012 8:34 pm | By Ben Betz
The Roberts Court’s 2011-12 Term: Is the Roberts Court Really a Court?
This piece originally appeared on Huffington Post. Eric Segall, a professor of constitutional law at Georgia State University, has just written a provocative book called Supreme Myths: Why the Supreme Court Is Not a Court and Its Justices Are Not…