Here’s the text of the federal female genital mutilation ban, together with the factual findings: (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), whoever knowingly circumcises, excises, or infibulates the whole or any part of the labia majora or labia minora or clitoris of another person who has not attained the age of 18 years shall […]
Archive | June, 2011
Wisconsin Unions File Federal Suit Against Collective Bargaining Limits
The Journal-Sentinel reports that several union organizations in Wisconsin have filed suit in federal court seeking to overturn the controversial limits on collective bargaining by public sector unions enacted in Wisconsin. A Wisconsin AFL-CIO release explains the basis for the suit: The lawsuit charges that the Budget Repair Bill violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments […]
“No Account Shall Be Taken … of Any Belief … That the Operation Is Required as a Matter of Custom or Ritual”
In the discussions about the proposed circumcision bans, some people suggested that the provision that “[i]n applying [the medical necessity exception to the ban], no account shall be taken of the effect on the [child] of any belief on the part of [the child] or any other person that the operation is required as a […]
Liberty and Parental Rights
Some comments on recent posts have suggested that libertarians should support a broad notion of parental rights. I haven’t written at any length on parental rights (except as to the special case parental free speech rights), and my thinking on this is far from definite; and of course I surely can’t speak for libertarians generally. […]
A War Over War Powers?
By Jonathan H. Adler on June 15, 2011 6:13 pm in Executive Branch, Separation of Powers, War on Terror
GWU law professor Jonathan Turley has filed suit against the Obama Administration on behalf of several members of Congress, including Reps. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and Walter Jones (R-NC). The complaint alleges that President Obama acted unlawfully by going to war in Libya without Congressional authorization and seeks, among other things, an order that the military […]
Dallas Mavericks Made “Honorary Ohioans”
No, this is not a joke. The official proclamation from Ohio Governor John Kasich is here. Does this make Ohio the Schadenfreude state?
Defanging Fang (Again)
Think Progress blogger Lee Fang’s obsession with the Koch brothers is really quite something. It seems there is no charge, however ridiculous, unfounded, or false, that he will not repeat — if he’s not simply making stuff up. John Hinderaker dissects the latest example. (Note that even after Fang’s post is “corrected” it is still […]
Magna Carta Day
“Given by our hand in the meadow that is called Runnymede, between Windsor and Staines, on the fifteenth day of June in the seventeenth year of our reign [AD 1215],” the Magna Carta. Thanks to Tom Whiston for the heads-up.
Ethanol Subsidies Survive
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) forced a vote on eliminating an excise tax credit for ethanol. Something like this should be a no-brainer. Tax subsidies for ethanol are economically wasteful and environmentally destructive. Yet the vote failed, 59-40. This could have been a tough vote for Republicans, as some conservatives consider the repeal of tax credits […]
New Screening for Sunscreens
The Food and Drug Administration has announced new testing and labeling rules for sunscreens. More here.
Motion to Vacate Judge Walker’s Judgment Against Prop 8 is Denied
The proponents of Prop 8 sought to have Judge Vaughn Walker disqualified from ruling in the Prop 8 case. They argued that he had a substantial interest in the case because he was in an (undisclosed) long-term same-sex relationship and might seek to marry if SSM were permitted in California. Opinions in the blog commentariat […]
Wisconsin Supreme Court Upholds “Budget Repair Bill”
I haven’t been following the litigation, and have nothing substantive to say, but I thought I’d pass along the opinions (with thanks to InstaPundit for the pointer). The court split 4-3. Prof. William Jacobson (Legal Insurrection) has more. UPDATE: Since Jonathan blogged about this below, I’ve turned off comments; please comment on his thread.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Reinstates Collective Bargaining Law
Today the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned a lower court decision that had set aside controversial restrictions on public employees’ collective bargaining rights. Four justices signed on to the brief order accepting the case and overturning the order. Three justices concurred-in-part and dissented-in-part. From the Journal-Sentinel: The court found a committee of lawmakers was not […]
People’s Names and Countries’ Names
A commenter on the country name thread wrote, Would you apply the same logic to other proper nouns such as individual names? I recall when my brother, George, took Spanish the instructor wanted to pronounce his name “Hor-hay” as it would be pronounced if it were a Spanish word. My brother found this highly objectionable […]
New York’s Highest Court Interpets 47 U.S.C. § 230 Broadly
The case is Shiamili v. The Real Estate Group of New York, Inc., decided today. Defendants, who are apparently real estate brokers, ran a blog. Several people posted pseudonymous comments critical of Shiamili, another real estate broker. Defendants left those comments up, and even reposted one of the comments as a separate post, with a […]