Tag Archives: SCOTUS

Wendy Davis’ lawsuit against SB8 dismissed

Posted on February 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Alas. A federal judge has dismissed a narrow challenge to Texas’ ban on abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. The lawsuit was brought by former State Sen. Wendy Davis, best known for her 13-hour filibuster of a 2013 abortion … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Wendy Davis’ lawsuit against SB8 dismissed

Abbott tells state agencies and universities to hire more white people

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, let’s be honest, that’s what this is about. Gov. Greg Abbott’s office is warning state agency and public university leaders this week that the use of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives — policies that support groups who have … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

State Bar lawsuit against Paxton survives motion to dismiss

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton must face an ethics lawsuit by state attorney regulators over a case he brought challenging results of the 2020 election, according to a court ruling posted on Monday. Judge Casey Blair on Friday … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on State Bar lawsuit against Paxton survives motion to dismiss

New Mexico sues its “abortion sanctuary cities”

Posted on January 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. New Mexico’s top prosecutor on Monday asked the state’s highest court to overturn abortion bans imposed by conservative local governments in the Democratic-run state where the procedure remains legal after Roe v. Wade was struck down. The move comes … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Mexico sues its “abortion sanctuary cities”

Emergency miscarriage care

Posted on January 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s another thing most of us have not had to think much about in the past when abortion was generally legal. [A uterine aspiration (also commonly known as a D&C) or the removal of tissue from the uterus via suction] is a … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Emergency miscarriage care

More on our future doctor shortage

Posted on January 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This is unsustainable. Abortion restrictions have forced Texas obstetrician-gynecology residency programs to send young doctors out of the state to learn about pregnancy termination, a burdensome process educators say is another example of abortion bans undermining reproductive health care. At … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More on our future doctor shortage

It’s going to be a brutal legislative session for LGBTQ folks in Texas

Posted on January 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I really wish this weren’t the case, but it is. It’s going to be bad. Two bills that would ban classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in Texas public schools before certain grade levels are poised to receive … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas clinics begin compliance with that wingnut anti-birth control court order

Posted on January 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Infuriating but expected. Texas teens will now need their parents’ permission to get birth control at federally funded clinics, following a court ruling late last month. These clinics, funded through a program called Title X, provide free, confidential contraception to … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Texas clinics begin compliance with that wingnut anti-birth control court order

Mifepristone can now be offered at retail pharmacies

Posted on January 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good news, for at least some of the country. For the first time, retail pharmacies, from corner drugstores to major chains like CVS and Walgreens, will be allowed to offer abortion pills in the United States under a regulatory change … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mifepristone can now be offered at retail pharmacies

Wingnut Trump judge issues his anti-birth control ruling

Posted on December 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

And from here it goes to the Fifth Circuit. Isn’t this fun? A federal court ruling Tuesday may make it nearly impossible for Texas teens to access birth control without their parents’ permission. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled that … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Texas drops appeal of ruling that forbade banning the sale of handguns to people under 21

Posted on December 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Least surprising headline of the week. And month, and year, and pretty much any other arbitrary timeline you choose. Texas will no longer fight to ban 18- to 20-year-olds from carrying handguns in public. A judge ruled earlier this year … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Texas drops appeal of ruling that forbade banning the sale of handguns to people under 21

We said they’d come for birth control next

Posted on December 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

And here they are. Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee to a federal court in Texas, spent much of his career trying to interfere with other people’s sexuality. A former lawyer at a religious conservative litigation shop, Kacsmaryk denounced, in a 2015 article, … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Heartbeat” lawsuit against doctor dismissed

Posted on December 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I’d forgotten this was still a thing, it had been so long since it was filed. In the first test of the Texas law that empowers private citizens to sue for a minimum of $10,000 in damages over any illegal … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on “Heartbeat” lawsuit against doctor dismissed

Look to the state legislatures for the next frontiers in forced birtherism

Posted on December 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The state of Texas will of course be on the forefront of this, but it will surely follow examples from other states as well. As statehouses across the country prepare for next year’s legislative sessions — most for the first … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Look to the state legislatures for the next frontiers in forced birtherism

The environmental attack on abortion

Posted on December 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s ridiculous. Abortion opponents and their allies in elected office are seizing on an unusual strategy after suffering a wave of election defeats — using environmental laws to try to block the distribution of abortion pills. The new approach comes … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Senate passes Respect For Marriage Act

Posted on November 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. And remember who opposed it, kids. Republican U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz tried to block a Senate vote to explicitly enshrine equal marriage rights for gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans into federal law Wednesday, after 12 GOP … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Senate passes Respect For Marriage Act

Paxton taken off the hook for testifying in abortion funds’ lawsuit

Posted on November 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

By the Fifth Circuit, of course. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will not have to testify as nonprofits that help patients legally obtain abortions seek clarity on whether they can do their work in states like Texas where the procedure … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Paxton taken off the hook for testifying in abortion funds’ lawsuit

Our future doctor shortage

Posted on November 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Putting a pin in this. As reported by Jan Hoffman for The New York Times, in order to satisfy their prerequisites for specialty board certification, OB-GYN physicians in post-graduate medical residency programs must comply with national requirements, which include training in the performance of … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Anti-gay Waco JP’s lawsuit still tossed

Posted on November 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good. An Austin intermediate appellate court has upheld a Travis County judge’s decision to throw out McLennan County Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley’s lawsuit against the state panel that sanctioned her in 2019 for refusing to perform same-sex weddings. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Anti-gay Waco JP’s lawsuit still tossed

The surge in mail order abortion pills

Posted on November 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how long this lasts. We know the Lege is going to take aim at it. Requests for mail-order abortion pills continued to spike in Texas, nearly doubling this summer after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The surge in mail order abortion pills

State Bar complaint against Ted Cruz was dismissed

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This story ran a few days ago. A lawyer group that brought ethics complaints against Trump attorneys is trying to make it tougher for lawyers to use the legal system to overturn elections. The group, called the 65 Project, aims … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on State Bar complaint against Ted Cruz was dismissed

So many abortion clinics have closed

Posted on October 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Most of them are in Texas. More than half of the 23 abortion clinics in Texas have closed since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, according to a new report. Twelve clinics have shuttered their operations … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on So many abortion clinics have closed

You can be gay, you just can’t act gay

Posted on October 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

So rules a notoriously anti-gay Trump judge, narrowing a SCOTUS ruling from just two years ago at the behest of the usual suspect. A federal judge has ruled that Biden administration guidelines requiring employers to provide protections for LGBTQ employees … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on You can be gay, you just can’t act gay

Evade this, Kenny

Posted on October 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Paxton gets ordered to testify, along with an old-fashioned bench slapping. A federal judge has ordered Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to testify in an abortion rights lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman had previously quashed the subpoena, which Paxton … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Evade this, Kenny

The hearing that Paxton was trying to flee from

Posted on September 29, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s about whether the First Amendment rights of abortion funds have been abridged by threats of prosecution from people like Ken Paxton. You know, no big deal. Leaders of Texas’ most prominent abortion funds on Tuesday implored a federal judge … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The hearing that Paxton was trying to flee from

District court judge dismisses State Bar complaint against Brent Webster

Posted on September 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is a bad ruling, and it needs to be appealed. A Texas district judge has dismissed a professional misconduct lawsuit against a top aide of Attorney General Ken Paxton seeking to discipline them for their effort to overturn the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on District court judge dismisses State Bar complaint against Brent Webster

Fifth Circuit upholds Texas’ ridiculous social media censorship law

Posted on September 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Back to you, SCOTUS. A Texas law prohibiting large social media companies from banning users’ posts based on their political viewpoints will go into effect after a federal appeals court on Friday lifted a block placed on the statute. NetChoice … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Republicans propose nationwide abortion ban

Posted on September 14, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It was ever thus. Republicans are struggling with the backlash against the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and a series of Republican-controlled states instituting harsh abortion bans. Voters are angry, and that anger has contributed to a reduction in … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

It’s the year 2022 and we’re still litigating the Affordable Care Act

Posted on September 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Isn’t this horse dead yet? A federal judge in Fort Worth agreed Wednesday with a group of Christian conservatives that Affordable Care Act requirements to cover HIV prevention drugs violate their religious freedom. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor also agreed … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

“Safe haven” laws are also not a replacement for abortion

Posted on September 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing a theme. What are safe haven laws? A flurry of Houston baby abandonments in the ’90s led Texas to become the first state to enact a safe haven law in 1999. Created as an incentive for parents in crisis who are unable … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

VA says it will provide abortions

Posted on September 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. The Department of Veterans Affairs said Friday it will provide abortions for veterans and their beneficiaries as medically necessary or in cases of rape or incest. The VA said it plans to provide abortions across the entire nation … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on VA says it will provide abortions

A different poll about abortion in Texas

Posted on September 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting and encouraging, but I’m not sure I buy it. One year after Texas implemented what was then the most restrictive abortion law in the country, a majority of Texas voters are expressing strong support for abortion rights. In a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Investigating abortions is Houston’s “lowest priority”

Posted on September 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

So says Mayor Turner, and I’m glad to hear it. Mayor Sylvester Turner said Thursday that investigating abortions under the state’s near-total ban is the city’s “lowest priority” when it comes to crime. Turner said the city would continue to … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Of course the redistricting lawsuit trial will be delayed

Posted on September 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

All we ever get is delays. The legal fight over the shape of Texas political representation for the next decade won’t be decided until next year after a federal panel agreed Tuesday to delay a trial over new political maps. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Of course the redistricting lawsuit trial will be delayed