Court Rulings

• Georgia Supreme Court restores near-ban on abortions while state appeals
• Supreme Court leaves Texas pro-life rule in place, national issue unsettled

“Recently, a few cases have helped right some wrongs against religious freedom. The latest battle involves an attempt by activists to keep students from using federal assistance to attend religious schools. Thankfully, this case went the right way.” - Breakpoint

“A circuit judge in Springfield has ruled against the Illinois Baptist State Association in a suit to protect IBSA from requirements to provide employees with insurance benefits that cover abortion.” - Baptist Press

“Justice Eric Rosen authored the majority opinion, writing that ‘section 1 of the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights protects a fundamental right to personal autonomy, which includes a pregnant person’s right to terminate a pregnancy.’” - CPost

“The decision reverses a lower court which applied a higher level of scrutiny to the law and put a temporary injunction in place to block its enforcement.” - Daily Citizen

“Advocates argue the legal strategy that abortion bans violate religious freedom are not yet dead. In both the Missouri and Kentucky cases, appeals are planned.” - RNS

“This State’s establishment of a religious charter school violates Oklahoma statutes, the Oklahoma Constitution, and the Establishment Clause. St. Isidore cannot justify its creation by invoking Free Exercise rights as a religious entity.” - Baptist Press

“The court’s decision is the first of its kind and offers hope that ideologically motivated medical professionals who fast-track kids to transition can be stopped and even brought to justice.” - Breakpoint

“Sengheiser wrote that while the belief life begins at conception is sometimes a religious belief… it is not only a religious belief. He pointed to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health.” - CPost

“Merchan’s jury instructions were determined more than a week ago following arguments between prosecutors and Trump’s legal team. Despite Trump’s team arguing that jurors should be required to agree on a single underlying crime, Merchan sided with prosecutors, who argued that such special treatment would deviate from the standard application of the law.” - The Dispatch