Supporters of Oregon’s measure 105 lost their bid Tuesday to repeal Oregon ORS 181A.820, which limits the use of state and local law enforcement money, equipment and personnel for “detecting or apprehending persons whose only violation of law” pertains to their immigration status. Oregon’s sanctuary roots dates back to 1987 when the citizens of Oregon decided that [...]
Voters in six states, including Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Nevada, North Carolina and Oklahoma, voted on Marsy’s law amendments, a model amendment that typically provides a set of constitutional protections for crime victims. The model amendment includes provisions for the right to be notified about and present at proceedings against the perpetrator, the right to be involved [...]
Arkansas and Missouri voted on Tuesday to approve measures raising the states’ minimum wages. In Arkansas, the minimum wage will now gradually raise to $11 per hour by 2021. Arkansas currently has a minimum wage of $8.50 per hour. In Missouri, the minimum wage will now annually increase from $7.85 per hour to $12 per hour by 2023. The final wage can [...]
Washington state voters on Tuesday approved initiative 1639 with 60 percent of the vote, significantly strengthening the state’s firearm laws. The measure will raise the legal age to buy semiautomatic rifles from 18 to 21. To obtain such firearms, potential gun owners will need to pass an enhanced background check, show proof that they completed [...]
Alabama and West Virginia voters passed ballot measures on Tuesday to eliminate taxpayer funded abortions. Oregon, the third State to have an abortion related ballot measure this election cycle, did not receive adequate support to ban abortion funding. Alabama’s state legislature proposed a ballot measure to establish a state policy prohibiting state funds from being used for [...]
The state of West Virginia voted Tuesday to approve a judicial budget oversight amendment. The amendment allows the West Virginia legislature to reduce the judicial budget by no more than 15 percent. Providing that the total general revenue appropriations to the judiciary may be reduced in the budget bill, and setting fort the required procedures [...]
A hearing began Tuesday for a Northern Ireland woman seeking judicial review of the criminal charges leveled against her for supplying abortion pills to her daughter in violation of the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act. The woman, proceeding under the name JR76, is the first to present a legal challenge to criminal prosecution resulting [...]
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar called Tuesday for a delay in the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. The governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh had originally agreed that the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh would be repatriated to Rakhine State in Myanmar later this month. The Special Rapporteur, Yanghee Lee, said [...]
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for trademark infringement, resulting from the latter organization’s decision to change the name of its program to “Scouts BSA” and permit girls, ages 11 to 17, to join. The complaint alleges that BSA’s [...]
In the first statewide referendum on transgender rights Tuesday, Massachusetts affirmed the decision to continue to provide legal protections to transgender persons. At current count, two-thirds of the electorate voted yes on ballot question 3. The measure is to keep in place the current law prohibiting gender identity discrimination in places of public accommodation. The [...]
