On April 24, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed the Medical Ethics Defense Act, SB 955 (full text). The new law provides in part:A healthcare provider must not be required to participate in or pay for a healthcare procedure,
New Website Catalogues Laws That Exclude Religious Organizations from Government Funding Opportunities
Earlier this month, Notre Dame Law School announced that it, along with two other organizations, has launched a new website which identifies state laws that exclude religious organizations from participating in a wide variety of social service, educational and cultural…
Muslim Woman Sues Over Violation of Her Religious Rights in Jail
The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations yesterday announced the filing of a federal lawsuit by a Muslim woman who alleges violation of her free exercise rights by Orange County, New York sheriff officers and jail officials. …
Convicted Cardinal Claims Eligibility to Vote for New Pope
In the Vatican, an unusual legal dispute has surfaced over the eligibility of the former deputy Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, to vote at the upcoming Conclave to select a new Pope. Article 36 of Apostolic Constitution …
Indiana Enacts Parental Rights Law
Christian Foster Care Ministry Can Limit Hiring to Those of Its Own Faith
In Gracehaven, Inc. v. Montgomery County Department of Job and Family Services, (SD OH, April 21, 2025), an Oho federal district court issued a preliminary injunction restoring contracting and funding by the county to a Christian ministry that provides…
DOJ Hosts First Meeting of Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias
A Department of Justice press release reports that yesterday the DOJ hosted the inaugural meeting of the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias. The Task Force was created by an Executive Order of President Trump. Yesterday’s press release described the…
President Responds to Death of Pope Francis
Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Permissive Opt-Out of Children from Exposure To LGBTQ-Friendly Books
The U.S. Supreme Court this morning will hear oral arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor. In the case, the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a Maryland federal district court’s denial of a preliminary injunction in a challenge to a…
Religious Corporation Exemption to Maryland Anti-Discrimination Law Does Not Excuse LGBT Discrimination Against Data Analyst
In Doe v. Catholic Relief Services, (D MD, April 21, 2025), a Maryland federal district court held that the religious corporation exemption from the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act does not apply to the termination of spousal health care…