National Organization for Marriage
Professor and former Dean of the Chapman University Law School, and founding director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence; Chairman of the Board for the National Organization for Marriage; former law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas
Recapping arguments on Trump's travel ban Donald Trump’s travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries -- will the federal government or Washington state prevail? We look at the arguments before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
The Clash of Religious Freedom and Civil Rights Arizona's Senate Bill 1062 did not give businesses the right to discriminate against gays and lesbians, but it did say they could use religious belief as a defense if they were sued for refusing service. In any case, the issue has not disappeared since Governor Jan Brewer vetoed the measures under heavy pressure from businesses and gay rights groups. As more and more states recognize the right to same-sex marriage, some religious conservatives are finding ways to fight back. Photographers, bakers and florists have claimed they can't participate in same-sex weddings without violating their religious beliefs. Is that outright discrimination or an exercise of the First Amendment? Can hotels, restaurants or other public businesses do the same thing? We hear how the Religious Freedom Movement is making waves from Arizona and other states to the US Supreme Court.
Gay Rights Victories from a Divided US Supreme Court Two different five-vote Supreme Court majorities made rulings today that advance the cause of same-sex marriage in the United States. The Defense of Marriage Act , which recognizes only heterosexual marriage, was held to be unconstitutional . Same-sex marriage is now legal again in California, because a lower-court ruling against that state's voter-passed ban will be allowed to stand. We hear the legal details and the emotional reaction from both sides, who agree on one thing: traditional marriage is changing fast.
The US Supreme Court and Same-Sex Marriage Five years ago, voters passed Proposition 8, banning same-sex marriage in California. A federal judge in San Francisco declared it unconstitutional, and his decision was upheld by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Tomorrow, the issue will be argued before US Supreme Court in Washington. We hear from an opponent and a gay male wife with two children. (We also hear from other supporters of same-sex marriage, who gathered last night at Los Angeles City Hall. KCRW's Saul Gonzalez spoke with Councilman-elect Mike Bonin of West LA, and with Debra and Karen Zimmerman, a Los Angeles couple who were married in Canada.)
The US Supreme Court, Politics and Same Sex Marriage US Supreme Court watchers are playing a waiting game in regard to same-sex marriage. As the justices work out their differences behind closed doors, we’ll look at the options—and the potential consequences for the law and for politics. Polls show the trend in favor of same-sex marriage is growing fast. For the first time in US history, it was approved by voters in three of last month’s elections, rather than in legislative chambers. It’s now legal in nine states and the District of Columbia. Friday—and again today—it was expected the US Supreme Court would take up the matter. Both sides are waiting anxiously for action on Friday. That provides more time to consider the options, legal, political and moral.
The US Supreme Court, Politics and Same Sex Marriage US Supreme Court watchers are playing a waiting game in regard to same-sex marriage. As the justices work out their differences behind closed doors, we’ll look at the options—and the potential consequences for the law and for politics. Polls show the trend in favor of same-sex marriage is growing fast. For the first time in US history, it was approved by voters in three of last month’s elections, rather than in legislative chambers. It’s now legal in nine states and the District of Columbia. Friday—and again today—it was expected the US Supreme Court would take up the matter. Both sides are waiting anxiously for action on Friday. That provides more time to consider the options, legal, political and moral.
Obamacare? Romneycare? Robertscare? The Supreme Court's 5-4 decision upholding (most of) President Obama's healthcare reform effort was a surprise for -- among other reasons -- who made up those five.
The Prop 8 Arguments Are Over, Now It's Up to the Judge California voters passed Proposition 8 by a 52% majority in 2008, limiting marriage to one man and one woman, and effectively banning same-sex marriage. In 2009, the California Supreme Court upheld Prop 8 , but allowed existing same-sex marriages to stand. In the most recent Constitutional challenge , for two weeks in January, Federal Judge Vaughn Walker heard testimony for and against. Today he heard four hours of closing arguments. In California's 100-year-old initiative process, how often has "the will of the people" been overturned by a judge? Will this case go before the Supreme Court?
Shedding Light on the Dark Side During the Bush Administration, the CIA referred for possible prosecution about 20 cases of prisoner interrogations so abusive they might have violated the law. All but two were declined by the Department of Justice due to insufficient evidence of criminal conduct or criminal intent and the low probability of conviction. The New York Times , Newsweek magazine and the Los Angeles Times have all reported that despite President Obama not wanting to look back, Attorney General Eric Holder is likely to appoint a special prosecutor to re-open the cases. The release of a formerly classified report will put a lot of disturbing questions back in the news. Would investigation of low-level interrogators lead to policy makers up the chain of command? How high might it go? Can the Obama Administration handle another highly-charged political controversy with Constitutional overtones? Can it afford not to?
Shedding Light on the Dark Side During the Bush Administration, the CIA referred for possible prosecution about 20 cases of prisoner interrogations so abusive they might have violated the law. All but two were declined by the Department of Justice due to insufficient evidence of criminal conduct or criminal intent and the low probability of conviction. The New York Times , Newsweek magazine and the Los Angeles Times have all reported that despite President Obama not wanting to look back, Attorney General Eric Holder is likely to appoint a special prosecutor to re-open the cases. The release of a formerly classified report will put a lot of disturbing questions back in the news. Would investigation of low-level interrogators lead to policy makers up the chain of command? How high might it go? Can the Obama Administration handle another highly-charged political controversy with Constitutional overtones? Can it afford not to?
Dueling Speeches over National Security President Obama and former Vice President Dick Cheney lined out their differences today in speeches designed to frame the ongoing debate on national security. The President spoke at the National Archives, Cheney addressed the American Enterprise Institute
Obama and Cheney Address the Politics of National Security The President and the former Vice President could hardly disagree more on the right and wrong policies for keeping America safe. In dueling speeches today, they advanced their views and repudiated each other on issues including interrogations, Guantánamo Bay and the Constitution. Speaking at the National Archives, Obama said he'll protect the nation while preserving the rule of law. Cheney spoke at the American Enterprise Institute, where he said critics of tough anti-terrorist measures "distort the truth." We talk to reporters and others about today's quasi-debate. Will it change perceptions of the past? Will it help shape the future?
UC Irvine Hires and Unhires Erwin Chemerinsky for the Post of Dean UC Irvine is about to open California’s first public law school in forty years, and constitutional scholar Irwin Chemerinsky was picked as the founding Dean. A former professor at USC who’s now at Duke , Legal Affairs magazine calls Chemerinsky one of America’s “ top twenty legal thinkers .” He signed a contract a few weeks ago, but on Tusday UC Irvine’s Chancellor Michael Drake rescinded the offer.
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.