First amendment denied at Baldwin county al clerks office
Just holding public servants accountable sorry the vid sucks first one very nervous.
By: Thomas Duke
View original post here:
First amendment denied at Baldwin county al clerks office - Video
Houston demands pastors turn over sermons
I think the city of Houston is definitely violating our first amendment rights by issueing subpoenas demanding a group of pastors turn over any sermons dealing with homosexuality, gender identity...
By: DailyWorldwideNews
Continue reading here:
Houston demands pastors turn over sermons - Video
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos insists he's a big fan of the First Amendment.
That's what the Republican legislator from Racine County said to justify his belief that corporations, businesses, labor unions or anyone else should be able to spend as much money as they want on political campaigns.
The Supreme Court's controversial Citizens United decision, the one that declared that corporations have the same First Amendment rights as individual citizens, was spot on, the speaker declared as he and Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca engaged in a debate before a packed WisPolitics.com luncheon last week.
Barca had just declared that the biggest threat to American democracy was the court's decision that money equals speech. The Kenosha Democrat added that it's critically important to overturn the decision that opened the floodgates to unlimited spending in political races.
But a smug and confident Vos, cocksure that Scott Walker would be re-elected governor and the Republicans would continue to control the Legislature after Nov. 4, was having none of it. He also declared that not only should corporations be able to give, the so-called independent issue groups should be able to collaborate with a candidate's campaign as well. (That's currently illegal under Wisconsin law and its alleged violation by Walker backers is behind the controversial John Doe investigation.)
I'm a huge believer in the First Amendment, he declared, as if there's no question that the Founding Fathers intended to include corporations in the Bill of Rights.
It was interesting to learn that Vos suddenly had such respect for the constitutional amendment authored by James Madison to protect minority views from "the tyranny of the majority." (It's apparently hard for Vos and the 5-4 majority on the Supreme Court to admit that the Founding Fathers only mentioned individual American citizens in their deliberations.)
Vos is the same guy, after all, who has been a consistent defender of secret legislative caucuses and was behind the move to forbid the Governmental Accountability Board from allowing online access to campaign contribution disclosure forms filed by legislators.
He was also one of the instigators of tough rules to limit demonstrations in the State Capitol during and after the protests in 2011, including prohibiting cameras and other recording devices in the Assembly balconies.
But when it comes to corporations-as-citizens, he's suddenly a firm believer in that First Amendment.
View post:
Plain Talk: Robin Vos gets First Amendment religion
MANCHESTER James Foley, the New Hampshire journalist murdered by ISIS forces in Syria last summer, has been named this years recipient of the Nackey S. Loeb First Amendment Award.
The freelance journalist and videographer, who grew up in Wolfeboro, was announced yesterday as the recipient of the 12th annual award given by the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications.
A panel of judges decided to honor Foley for his work in telling the personal stories of people trapped by war and senseless violence.
He gave voice to people in places where there is no free speech or free press, and he gave his life because of it, said school executive director David Tirrell-Wysocki.
The award will be presented posthumously at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester on Nov. 12. The evening event will also feature an address by Donald Trump, who joins a notable group of national figures who have donated their appearances on behalf of the nonprofit school.
The First Amendment Award was established to honor New Hampshire organizations or residents who protect or exemplify the liberties granted in the First Amendment.
Past honorees include former state Attorney General Philip McLaughlin, former Keene Sentinel Editor Thomas Kearney, state Rep. Daniel Hughes, Dover City Councilor David Scott, First Amendment attorney William Chapman, ConVal School Board member Gail Pierson Cromwell, The Portsmouth Herald, David Lang and the Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire, and The Telegraph of Nashua.
Foley had reported from Iraq and Afghanistan and was kidnapped in Libya for 44 days in 2011. His work appeared in Stars and Stripes and GlobalPost, among others. He went to Syria in 2012 to report on conditions there and was taken by militants at Thanksgiving that year. His parents, Dr. John and Diane Foley of Rochester, did not hear from him for more than a year.
He was executed in August of this year, becoming the first American civilian to be killed by Islamist fanatics called ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria). Foleys beheading shocked the world. His parents plan a funeral Mass for him in Rochester this Saturday, which would have been his 42nd birthday.
Nackey Loeb, the late president and publisher of the Union Leader Corp., founded the school in 1999 to promote understanding and appreciation of the First Amendment and to foster interest, integrity and excellence in journalism and other forms of communication. More than 7,000 people have participated in the schools media-related classes, workshops and other events.
Go here to see the original:
Award to honor James Foley's work telling the stories 'of people trapped by war'
An unusual First Amendment fight has erupted in Houston where lawyers for the city have raised alarm bells among conservative religious leaders after subpoenaing sermons delivered by several local pastors.
The legal clash stems from a voter lawsuit against the city over its rejection of citizen petitions that were filed to repeal an equal rights ordinance approved by Houstons City Council in May.
Pro bono attorneys representing Houston have demanded copies of sermons and other speeches given by five pastors and religious leaders who have spoken out against the ordinance, which bans racial and sexual orientation discriminationin city employment and contracting, housing and public accommodations.
A subpoena on Pastor Steve Riggle, senior pastor of Grace Community Church, asks for all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to [the equal rights ordinance], the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession.
Alliance Defending Freedom, a national conservative legal group, filed a motion on Monday in Harris County district court objecting to the records request on First Amendment grounds.
City council members are supposed to be public servants, not Big Brother overlords who will tolerate no dissent or challenge, ADF senior legal counsel Erik Stanley said. In this case, they have embarked upon a witch-hunt, and we are asking the court to put a stop to it.
But in a breaking development Wednesday, Houston Mayor Annise Parker appeared to be backing away from the initial requests. Janice Evans, a city spokeswoman, told Law Blog in a statement:
Mayor Parker agrees with those who are concerned about the city legal departments subpoenas for pastors sermons. The subpoenas were issued by pro bono attorneys helping the city prepare for the trial regarding the petition to repeal the new Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) in January. Neither the mayor nor City Attorney David Feldman were aware the subpoenas had been issued until yesterday. Both agree the original documents were overly broad. The city will move to narrow the scope during an upcoming court hearing. Feldman says the focus should be only on communications related to the HERO petition process.
Houston City Attorney David Feldman suggested to the Houston Chronicle in a story published Tuesday that the documents demanded by the city could shed light on the extent to which signature gatherers opposing the ordinance were aware of the rules governing the referendum process.
Reports the Chronicle:
Read more from the original source:
Houston Mayor Says Citys Sermon Subpoenas Came as a Surprise