Liberty Counsel

FL Governor Signs Pro-life Parental Consent Bill

TALLAHASSEE, FL -- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill yesterday that prohibits physicians from performing or inducing the termination of the pregnancy of a minor without parental consent. The new law becomes effective today and makes Florida the sixth state to require both parental consent and notice before minor girls can get an abortion. Senate Bill 404 requires a girl under 18 to have at least one parent’s permission before going through with an abortion. The bill includes exceptions for medical emergencies and allows a judge to grant permission instead of a parent. It also increases the penalties for not caring for an infant born alive during an abortion. The bill, which passed during the legislative session that ended in March, comes more than three decades after the Florida Supreme Court in 1989 struck down a similar parental-consent law.

Supreme Blunder

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Supreme Court released a plurality 4-1-4 opinion siding with the lower District Court that struck down the Louisiana state law known as the “Unsafe Abortion Protection Act,” which requires doctors performing abortions to have admission privileges at a state-authorized hospital within 30 miles of the abortion center. All doctors in Louisiana at outpatient surgical facilities, except abortion centers, must have admitting privileges at a local hospital. Four Justices (Breyer, Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Kagan) concluded that the state was barred from raising standing because they did not press that argument in the lower courts (even though the Court of Appeals ruled on standing), and that the findings of the lower District Court were not “clearly erroneous.”

NY Court Condemns Discrimination of Religious Services

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Today, a federal judge ruled that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Attorney General Letitia James, and Mayor Bill de Blasio may not order or enforce indoor or outdoor restrictions on religious worship gatherings. Represented by the Thomas More Society, two Catholic priests from upstate New York and a trio of Orthodox Jewish congregants from Brooklyn sued Cuomo, James and de Blasio for violations of their free exercise of religion and freedom of speech.

VA Governor Encourages Snitching on Churchgoers

RICHMOND, VA -- Governor Ralph Northam wants residents to file a complaint against neighbors, friends, and churchgoers who they feel aren’t complying with his executive order about Phase 2 restrictions regarding social distancing, masks, and establishment capacities. The Virginia Department of Public Health is urging residents to “snitch on” public gatherings and other activities that violate the governor’s Coronavirus orders, including church services. The health department’s website has been updated with a “Complaint Report Form” with dropdown options to anonymously report citizens who exceed the emergency limits on building capacity or refuse to wear masks to the state. The form allows users to specify the “type of establishment” they’re reporting, including indoor gun range or religious service. Additional types of establishments that can be reported are grocery or convenience stores, restaurants, brick and mortar retail stores, wineries or breweries, personal grooming service[s], gyms, and other.

DOJ Seizes Major Human Trafficking Site

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Department of Justice has shut down a major website for prostitution and sex trafficking and has indicted the owner. CityXGuide.com was a leading source of online advertisements for prostitution and sex trafficking which served clients across the nation, including a list of 14 “Favorite Cities” such as Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, and Boston. Law enforcement has identified numerous underage victims in CityXGuide advertisements, including a 13-year-old female who was recovered in November 2019.

President Advances Global Religious Freedom

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Trump signed an executive order directing the State Department to coordinate with the U.S. Agency for International Development to ensure at least $50 million per year is allocated for programs that advance international religious freedom.

IL Lifts All Restrictions on Churches

CHICAGO, IL – Less than four hours before the deadline for Gov. J.B. Prtizker to file his response to the U.S. Supreme Court to the emergency injunction request brought by two Romanian churches, the governor unilaterally removed all restrictions on churches and houses of worship. Within a few hours yesterday after two Romanian churches filed an emergency injunction pending appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Kavanaugh ordered Gov. Pritzker to respond by 8:00 p.m. Thursday night. Just before the deadline, Gov. Prtizker issued “guidelines” for houses of worship, none of which are mandatory.

SCOTUS Orders IL Governor to Respond Tonight

CHICAGO, IL – Yesterday, within a few hours after two Romanian churches filed an emergency injunction pending appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Kavanaugh ordered Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to respond by 8:00 p.m. tonight. Liberty Counsel represents Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church and Logos Baptist Ministries.

Planned Parenthood Unlawfully Takes Taxpayer Funds

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Thirty-seven affiliates of the country’s largest abortion organization unlawfully applied for and received a total of $80 million in loans from the Paycheck Protection Program.

Romanian Churches File Emergency Injunction with SCOTUS

CHICAGO, IL – Today, two Romanian churches filed an emergency injunction pending appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Liberty Counsel represents Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church and Logos Baptist Ministries.

Chicago Threatens to Close or Destroy Churches

CHICAGO, IL – Today, the Chicago Department of Public Health sent a letter to Elim Pentecostal Church and other Romanian churches in the city threatening closure and “summary abatement.” In the threatening letter, Commissioner Allison Arwady wrote: “I am authorized to seek to enjoin such nuisance or to cause the same to be summarily abated in such manner as I may direct….” The letter ended by stating that “the City will take steps necessary to abate, including Summary Abatement.”

President Trump Deems Churches “Essential”

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- During a press briefing today at the White House, President Trump deemed that churches and houses of worship are essential and that “in America, we need more prayer, not less.” The president also announced that Center for Disease Control and Prevention will issue new guidelines that will classify houses of worship as “essential.”

MS Church Wins Emergency Injunction

HOLLY HILLS, MS – The federal Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted emergency relief pending appeal to the First Pentecostal Church of Holly Hills, MS. Not long after federal District Judge Michael P. Mills issued a blistering and sarcastic opinion against the church, someone firebombed the church building and burnt it to the ground early Wednesday morning. But, in a 3-0 opinion, the Court of Appeals granted the church’s request for an emergency injunction pending appeal. The church is represented by Steve Crampton of the Thomas More Society.

City Slaps “Disorderly Conduct” Citations at Churches

CHICAGO, IL – Pastor Cristian Ionescu of Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church has received two “disorderly conduct” citations for holding a morning and an evening service last Sunday. Liberty Counsel represents Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church and Logos Baptist Ministries, which have filed a federal lawsuit against Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker for his unconstitutional executive orders discriminating against churches. Now both churches have been cited twice for holding peaceful worship services.

Chicago Thuggery Directed at Romanian Churches

CHICAGO, IL – Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has engaged in mob-like thuggery against the Romanian churches that have begun to meet in-person. Even though these churches have their own private parking, and their members don’t park on the street, the mayor ordered “No Parking” signs along the streets for nine blocks around the churches.

Judge Rules: “No Pandemic Exception to Constitution”

RALEIGH, NC -- A federal judge in North Carolina granted a statewide temporary restraining order on Saturday to block Governor Roy Cooper’s executive order that criminalizes churchgoers for attending indoor worship services of more than 10 people. In his ruling, James C. Dever III wrote, “There is no pandemic exception to the Constitution of the United States or the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.”

KY Church Mandates Removed

BULLITT COUNTY, KY – Yesterday, the federal District Court acknowledged that to the extent there are differences between its injunction issued Friday evening and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals’ injunction issued Saturday, on behalf of Maryville Baptist Church, the latter takes precedence.

Maine Church Appeals Discriminatory Orders

BANGOR, ME – Calvary Chapel of Bangor on Saturday night filed an appeal to the District Court’s denial of the temporary restraining order against Gov. Janet Mills for targeting churches and prohibiting in-person and drive-in-stay-in-your-car worship services. Today, Liberty Counsel, which represents the church, filed a motion in the District Court to issue an injunction pending appeal. If that is denied, the next step will be to file for an emergency injunction at the Court of Appeals. This is the same procedure Liberty Counsel followed in the Kentucky church case, in which that Court of Appeals granted the injunction in a 3-0 ruling for both parking lot and in-person services.

Appeals Court Gives Big Win for Churches

BULLITT COUNTY, KY – Today, in a 3-0 opinion, the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit granted an injunction for in-person church services in the case involving Maryville Baptist Church and Pastor Roberts.

Romanian Churches Sue IL Governor for Discrimination

CHICAGO, IL – Romanian churches have filed a federal lawsuit against Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker for his unconstitutional executive orders discriminating against churches by restricting in-person worship services to no more than 10 people while allowing commercial and non-religious entities to accommodate large crowds. Liberty Counsel represents Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church and Logos Baptist Ministries.