Louisiana govenor signs order banning LGBT discrimination News
Louisiana govenor signs order banning LGBT discrimination

[JURIST] Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards [official website] on Wednesday signed [press release] an executive order [text, PDF] that creates a new anti-discrimination law intended to protect members of the LGBT community. Prior to signing the executive order, there was no state law in Louisiana protecting LGBT individuals from employment discrimination. In signing the bill, Governor Edwards stated, “We are fortunate enough to live in a state that is rich with diversity, and we are built on a foundation of unity and fairness for all of our citizens.” The order has broken new ground in the state, as it marks the first time Louisiana has specifically recognized the equal rights of transgender people. Governor Edwards’s order rescinds previous laws established by his successor Bobby Jindal, who worked to limit certain LGBT rights.

The intersection of religious liberty and sexual orientation and gender identity has been a controversial issue in the US. Earlier this week Georgia Governor Nathan Deal said that he would veto [JURIST report] a religious freedom bill [HB 757, text] that critics claim would sanction discrimination against LGBT individuals. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe on Wednesday vetoed [press release] a similar bill. North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper [official profile] on Tuesday stated [JURIST report] during a press conference that he will not defend House Bill 2 [materials], which he considers to be discriminatory against the LGBT community. That legislation specifically prohibits local municipalities from enacting anti-discrimination ordinances.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Justice Department brings anit-trust action against AT&T

On November 20, 1974, the Department of Justice filed its final anti-trust suit against AT&T. United States v. AT&T was ultimately settled out of court with an agreement that the corporation would break up its monopoly on phone service throughout the country.

Nuremberg war crimes trials began

On November 20, 1945, the war crimes trials of Nazi World War II leaders began in the German city of Nuremberg. Review the Nuremberg Tribunal's Charter and the verdicts and sentences handed down on major war figures.

Winston Churchill born

On November 20, 1874, Sir Winston Churchill was born in Woodstock, England. He would go on to lead the United Kingdom as Prime Minister through World War II. Toward the end of the war, Churchill worked with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to craft the treaties and accords that have defined the world since WWII. A 2002 poll by the BBC declared Churchill the Greatest Briton of all time.

New Jersey ratifies Bill of Rights

New Jersey ratified the Bill of Rights, a set of 10 fundamental amendments to the US Constitution, on November 20, 1789, becoming the first state to do so. The state also ratified an amendment on federal representation which ultimately failed. Additionally, New Jersey rejected an amendment on congressional salaries, which would eventually become the 27th Amendment more than 200 years later. Read the articles ratified by New Jersey.