The Vermont Supreme Court rejected claims made by legislators and town clerks that the state’s civil union laws, which grant gay and lesbian couples the most comprehensive package of domestic partner benefits in the nation, were unconstitutional. Among the plaintiff’s arguments was the claim that the law requiring town clerks to issue civil union licenses to gays and lesbians forced them to act against their religious belief that homosexuality is immoral. The Court determined that the town clerks claims were invalid as an assistant could be appointed to distribute the licenses. The Court also admonished the town clerks saying that it was “highly questionable” for a public official to “retain public office while refusing to perform a generally applicable duty of that office on religious grounds.” In 2000, Vermont became the first state in the nation to give civil recognition to gay and lesbian couples. Soon after, the bill faced legal challenges, all of which have failed thus far.
Media Resources: Associated Press, 1/3/02; Feminist Daily News Wire
6/18/2013 Supreme Court Strikes Down Proof of Citizenship Voter Requirements - On Monday, the United States Supreme Court struck down an Arizona law requiring voters to provide proof of citizenship before being allowed register to vote.
In an opinion written [PDF] by Justice Antonin Scalia, the Court ruled that the Arizona statute violated the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA, also known as the "Motor Voter Law") of 1993, which created a federal form that individuals can mail in to register to vote in federal elections. . . .
6/18/2013 Pakistani Women's University Bus, Hospital Bombed - A bus for a women's university in Pakistan and the hospital that treated victims from the blast were bombed on Saturday, killing 14 students and 24 others at the hospital.
The bus was transporting female students and teachers from Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University in Quetta, located in the southwestern part of Pakistan. . . .
6/18/2013 Taliban Attack In Afghan Capital As NATO Transfers Power - Yesterday, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) transferred responsibility for the country's security forces to the Afghan government after a bomb blast targeting a political official left three civilians dead in Kabul. . . .
