The Supreme Court, in that very building, promoted equal justice when it recently struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) — an act which barred the spouse in a same-sex marriage from receiving federal marriage benefits such as Social Security survivors’ benefits. Therefore, Chuck Hagel, Department of Defense Secretary, ordered states to provide same-sex […]
law
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LETTERS
The Supreme Court, in that very building, promoted equal justice when it recently struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) — an act which barred the spouse in a same-sex marriage from receiving federal marriage benefits such as Social Security survivors’ benefits. Therefore, Chuck Hagel, Department of Defense Secretary, ordered states to provide same-sex […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Most Fabulous Protest
Fans of the arts — and of the biblical parody — say a conservative Christian group is targeting the play and threatening to have the producers and actors arrested on opening night. “This is a tongue-in-cheek look at ‘Adam and Steve’ in the Garden of Eden,” said J.D. Bergner, a concerned member of the theater […]
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Musically rich New Orleans series Treme goes out swinging
bY Dean Robbins Treme’s final run (Sunday, 8 p.m., HBO) begins with Barack Obama’s election in 2008. We see a clip of Obama alluding to Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” in his acceptance speech, and that song becomes a leitmotif in the episode. The New Orleans neighborhood of Treme has certainly seen its […]
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Budding prospects
Recent survey data from SoonerPoll.com shows 71 percent of likely Oklahoma voters support amending the law to allow for physician-authorized patients to consume cannabis for therapeutic reasons. Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia have enacted similar measures since 1996. Other survey results show 57 percent prefer treating minor marijuana violations as noncriminal, fine-only offenses. […]
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DUI offenders keep licenses
According to state law, “a sworn report from a law enforcement officer that the officer had reasonable grounds to believe the arrested person” was driving under the influence must accompany bloodalcohol content reports in arrest files. Unfortunately, many documents currently in use don’t meet the standards of the law and cannot be adequately used in […]
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Forced out
Nichols, 64, filed a legal challenge last week to a state law that went into effect July 1, 2012, which prevents two or more sex offenders from living in the same place. “They (lawmakers) made the law specifically for this ministry because I’m the only one in Oklahoma who does this,” he said. “Oklahoma law […]
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Ministry leader, sex offender file lawsuit against city
David Nichols, president of Hand Up Ministries, and convicted sex offender Bernard Richard Lagrow have requested a judge consider a temporary restraining order forbidding law enforcement personnel from arresting or charging suspects in these types of cases. Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty, Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater, Oklahoma County Sheriff John Whetsel and […]
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Still fighting
David Green The crafts retailer has until Oct. 21 to file a response to a 251-page appeal filed by U.S. Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli and other government attorneys who want the high court to hear more about why the chain should or should not include contraceptives in its required healthcare coverage to employees. Hobby […]
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Legislating fear?
“Legislating Fear: Islamophobia and its Impact on the United States” focuses in part on state laws that targeted Muslims and the Islam faith, including State Question 755 and House Bill 1060 out of Oklahoma. The report was prepared by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Voters overwhelmingly approved the state question in 2010, which prohibited […]