At the end of March, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the “Parental Rights in Education” bill, which will limit any classroom instruction on gender and sexuality for those aged five to nine or in kindergarten to third grade. For older children, discussion around gender and sexuality has to be conductive to be delivered in an age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate manner. Becoming law on July 1, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill allows parents to sue school districts if parents believe their Kindergarten aged to third-grade children have had any classroom instruction on gender or sexuality. The cost of these lawsuits will fall to the school district. Opponents argue that forcing the school districts to cover the cost of these lawsuits will encourage schools and school districts to … [Read More...]
Mississippi Abortion Law Heads to the Supreme Court in December
On one side, hundreds of religious and anti-abortion groups have officially gone on record, letting the nation’s highest Court know their stand – life begins at conception. On the other side, hundreds of women, including many high profile athletes, have also voiced their opinion – an abortion should stay a Constitutional right in the United States. It has been 48 years since the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Roe v Wade, giving women the legal right to an abortion, and it has been 29 years since that decision was reaffirmed in Planned Parenthood v. Casey preventing states from banning abortion before viability, the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb. However, there is no doubt that America’s debate on whether or not a woman has a right … [Read More...]
What Is The Texas DACA Decision?
In June 2012, President Barack Obama instituted an executive order ensuring undocumented young immigrants who had entered the country as children could move into adulthood in the United States without living in fear of deportation. At the same time, with the government’s approval, they could receive a driver’s license and earn wages through work permits. President Obama’s order is now recognized as DACA, the acronym for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and the young immigrants are now commonly referred to as “DREAMers.” When President Obama first launched DACA, he described the DREAMers as being “…Americans in their heart, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper.’’ In the last nine years, more than 800,000 undocumented immigrants have benefitted from DACA. Participants do … [Read More...]
First Pharmacy Settlements in Nationwide Opioid Crisis
More than 500,000 people died from fatal opioid overdoses between 1999-2019, but who is responsible? The fatal misuse or overdose of opioids has continued to grow, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdown. CNN reported that the death toll climbed to over 69,000 in 2020, attributing the increase partially to the pandemic. Many believe that a chain of people is responsible for this uptick in the opioid crisis that has gripped the nation. Blame continues to be shifted from the manufacturers to the distributors, from the doctors prescribing opioids to the pharmacists filling the prescriptions, to the people misusing the drugs. More than 3,000 lawsuits have been filed against pharmacies, distributors and drugmakers. Four pharmacy chains have settled claims in two New York state counties for playing an active role in fueling the opioid … [Read More...]
What Is the Status of Arizona Voting Restrictions?
The Supreme Court issued its decision on Thursday, July 1, on the controversial Arizona voting restrictions that could make it more challenging for minorities to cast a ballot. The ruling was 6-3, along political, ideological lines. Justice Samuel Alito wrote the decision for the majority. According to the Supreme Court conservative justices, both provisions of the Arizona voting law do not violate the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which bans voting regulations that result in racial discrimination, upholding both limitations. In the decision, Justice Alito wrote that just because voting may be “inconvenient for some” doesn’t mean that access to voting is unequal. He continued, “the mere fact that there is some disparity in impact does not necessarily mean that a system is not equally open or that it does not … [Read More...]
Trump Impeachment Prosecutor Val Demings May Take on Marco Rubio
In January 2020, U.S. Representative Val Demings, now 64, was one of the seven impeachment managers who prosecuted Donald Trump for improperly seeking help from Ukrainian officials in helping his reelection campaign. Soon after the U.S. Senate decided to acquit the former president, the head of Florida’s Republican party Sen. Joe Gruters had this to say: Floridians “…won’t forget Demings’ role in this unfortunate chapter of history, and America won’t forget the Democrats’ cynical witch hunt at the ballot box in November.” Fast forward to May 2021. You can expect Floridians will be reminded repeatedly about Demings’ role in Trump’s first impeachment trial in the months ahead. Last week Marc Caputo of Politico reported Demings, who is also a former Orlando police chief, is aiming to … [Read More...]
Access to Legal Services May Improve Under Biden
On May 18, 2021, President Biden signed a presidential memo to expand access to legal counsel, legal representation and the courts. The Biden administration’s executive action could improve inequalities in the justice system and ensure that more minorities, those with low incomes and other vulnerable Americans have better access to legal services. Affordable and timely legal assistance can make a powerful difference in a person’s life. The presidential memo directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to re-establish the White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable (LAIR) and restore some functions of the now-closed Access to Justice Office. The roundtable was launched as a White House initiative by former President Obama in 2015. Its focus was to examine evidence-based solutions to ensure justice was accessible to more Americans. LAIR … [Read More...]
What Is the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act?
As former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in April, attention has shifted to focus on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Introduced during last year’s Congress session, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act would change how policing operates across the country. Named after a Black man who died while a police officer knelt on his neck, this act could revolutionize how police operate. Reducing Racial and Religious Profiling The act would forbid religious, racial and discriminatory profiling for all local, state and federal law enforcement while mandating anti-bias training for all levels of law enforcement. Further, this act would require that data such as the use of force be collected … [Read More...]
Florida Passes Anti-Rioting Legislation with Other States Soon to Follow
Within hours of Governor Ron DeSantis signing the “Combating Public Disorder Act” into law, volunteers for the Black Collective, a non-profit civil rights group, got to work, canvassing, through neighborhoods, alerting people of the new legislation. The bill, HB1, touted by DeSantis as “the strongest anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement measure in the country,’’ was made a priority by his administration after last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests. However, according to Francesca Menes, co-founder of Black Collective, HB1 presents challenges. As she explained to the Florida Phoenix, the signing of the new bill on April 20 ushered in a “harsh, new reality” for those who wanted to exercise their right to protest. Her group believed going door-to-door, sharing what the new bill includes … [Read More...]
Florida Birth Injury Program Investigation
Children change every aspect of a parent’s life, and for many, it’s a welcome experience. Parents plan and prepare for the arrival of their little one, but something no one can truly prepare for is their newborn being injured during birth. If a birth injury occurs and is caused by the doctor or medical team involved, seeking financial compensation to cover the cost of care in the short- and long-term is important. The costs associated with a child with a disability or chronic condition add up quickly; medication, treatments like physiotherapy, aids, and partial or complete nursing care are expensive, and many families can’t afford what’s needed to provide the best quality of life for their child. Suing for a birth injury caused by a doctor … [Read More...]
Draft registration called last legal form of sex discrimination
Requiring men, but not women, to register for the military draft is unconstitutional sex discrimination, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the U.S. system of Selective Service. The ACLU says compulsory selective service registration is one of the only remaining legally mandated forms of sex discrimination. It “reinforces the notion that women are not full and equal citizens, and perpetuates stereotypes about men’s and women’s capabilities,” the ACLU wrote in its petition to the court. RELATED: Numbers of women behind bars are soaring, report says RELATED: Ginsburg leaves legacy of fighting for equality It is representing a controversial men’s rights organization, the National Coalition for Men, in a petition before the nation’s highest court … [Read More...]
Specifics of Capitol attack will decide which charges rioters face
Most Americans were astonished Jan. 6 as they watched a band of Trump supporters rush the Capitol, loot offices, threaten civilians and trash Congressional offices. This occurred shortly after President Donald Trump urged some of his most rabid supporters to fight harder against what he still publicly and baselessly calls a stolen election. When it was over, five people were dead, including a Capitol Police officer. Many are at a loss for words to describe, in legal terms, what exactly it was that they witnessed. Was it treason? Insurrection? Trespassing? A failed coup? RELATED: What Biden might do, and not do, for criminal justice reform RELATED: Republican attorneys general group sponsored pre-riot Trump rally To bring justice to the culprits, legal authorities must be clear on what … [Read More...]