A high-toned effort to debunk the debunkers of a 'religious liberty' bill

Much of the opposition to HB 218 appears to center on the fear that religious owners of for-profit businesses might use the state RFRA as a shield against discrimination claims. The only prominent case involved a Christian wedding photographer who was sued after refusing to photograph a same-sex commitment ceremony, believing she would thereby be promoting an immoral act deeply at odds with her religious understanding of the meaning of marriage and of weddings. See Elane Photography v. Willock, 309 P.3d 53 (N.M. 2013).

For many religious believers, weddings are inherently religious events in which their participation must conform to religious obligations. There are serious arguments for exempting religious individuals who personally provide creative services to assist with weddings. But whatever one thinks of those arguments, it is far from clear that HB 218 would lead courts to recognize such an exemption.

The religious claim in Elane Photography lost even though New Mexico had a state RFRA....

Instead of the BCBS plan, retirees and spouses will get monthly payments from the University System into a health maintenance account, and they can use those payments to help defray the cost of insurance to supplement Medicare. The amount of the University System payment into the health maintenance account has not yet been determined. Nor has it been determined whether that will be a set amount or one that is pegged to increases in insurance costs.

During the 6-week training program, Erica and her colleagues were told to tell members that there would be no changes in the benefit and that it mirrored their old plan. Two weeks after the new benefit plan started, members began calling to complain that medications had doubled in price. Erica and other employees went to their supervisors to figure out why.

Shortly after, there was a mass email that went out to member service representatives indicating that the prescriptions had changed. According to Erica, "some drugs went from Tier 1 to Tier 3, or from Tier 2 to Tier 3. In some cases a jump from $15 to $85."

"I myself, if forced to make the choice, I don't think I will be in attendance. But I'm holding out hope that without me declaring that I'm not going, that they will take that load off my back and just simply postpone this meeting and let's come back and do it the right way."

"But the rest of us and the world have to have absolute assurance. And I think that [Netanyahu] coming will open that up and let us hear and a lot of what he is concerned about is evidence in the report that we did at NATO, which I was on top of. So I feel that even an extra responsibility to receive what he has to say. ...

"I understand it's not the most pleasant way for it to happen, but I think it's important now that it's happened. Better to hear him now, because we're at the crucible of this in a matter of weeks."

"So how are our local parents going to feel that some bureaucrat they didn't elect or have any say in deciding on is now going to decide how that school is going to operate?"

Norquist's group, Americans for Tax Reform, has slammed the transportation bill as a massive tax increase and a broken promise for those lawmakers who signed his group's pledge never to raise taxes. Along with Norquist, Martin also said in his complaint that Paul Blair, the group's state affairs manager, should register as a lobbyist.

In his complaint, Martin included a blog post and an essay, both written by Blair, and a story in the AJC's Political Insider column noting the group's opposition to the transportation bill.

In a response back to Martin, Cleta Mitchell, an attorney for Americans for Tax Reform, disputed Martin's claim that Norquist or Blair should register. The blog post is protected under the First Amendment, Mitchell said.

"Under the scenario and interpretation you have outlined, every editorial writer, newspaper columnist, reporter, blogger, author and public policy expert who expresses a view regarding pending legislation must register as a Georgia lobbyist," she wrote.

Comprised of five Republicans and three Democrats, the Task Force will assess the U.S. government's efforts to obstruct terrorist travel and to keep violent extremists from entering the United States. The Task Force will meet with government agencies, top officials, outside experts, and others to generate policy solutions and develop legislative recommendations to mitigate the threat.

Georgia will be the location of one of 10 new Army National Guard cyber protection teams to be established over the next three years. When mobilized for federal active duty, the cyber protection teams will provide surge support to Army Cyber Command and support defensive cyberspace operations.

"Diverse leadership increases the chances of achieving practical solutions to problems facing our criminal justice system. Our nation has entered a critical point in history where it is up to lawmakers to ensure people are treated fairly under the law. As our country becomes more diverse, we will face unique challenges to justice and freedom and I hope you will consider this when deciding whether or not to support Attorney Lynch's confirmation."