1st amendment

SAN DIEGO COURT RULES CHURCH CANNOT HOLD IN-PERSON EASTER SERVICES

By Miriam Raftery

April 10, 2020 (San Diego) – A local church hoping to hold in-person Easter services this Sunday has been denied an exemption to San Diego County’s COVID-19 stay-home order. 

Abiding Place Ministries had sought a restraining order to prevent the county from enforcing its public heath directive, arguing that the order violated members’ constitutional right to religious freedom.

But U.S. District Judge Cynthia A. Bashant ruled that the county has the authority to “reasonably restrict” such rights during a public health emergency. She quoted the U.S. Supreme Court in the Prince v. Massachusetts case, which states, “The right to practice religion freely does not include the right to expose the community to communicable disease…”


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READER’S EDITORIAL: WHY AN EMPLOYER SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO EXCLUDE BIRTH CONTROL FROM HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS BASED ON RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

 

By Joel A. Harrison, PhD, MPH

October 7, 2017 (San Diego) - According to an article in the San Diego Union-Tribune, “The Trump administration on Friday moved to roll back the federal requirement for employers to include birth control coverage in their health insurance plans, vastly expanding exemptions for those that cite moral or religious objections (Robert Pear. “Birth Control Mandate Rolled Back”, October 7, 2017, page A1). People believe that health insurance is a bonus offered by employers. Not true! To understand this, one has to understand both the history of employer-based health insurance and what a pay/wage packet is.


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READER'S EDITORIAL: SHOULD AN ELECTED OFFICIAL'S RELIGION TRUMP THE CONSTITUTION?

 

by Joel A. Harrison, PhD, MPH

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof (1st Amendment, US Constitution)

September 8, 2015 (San Diego)-- A Kentucky county clerk, Kim Davis has become a symbol of religious opposition to same-sex marriage after she was jailed Thursday for defying a federal court order to issue licenses to gay couples, the Union-Tribune reported.


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GROSSMONT BOARD RESOLVES TO RESTRICT MEMBERS’ RIGHTS; LEAVES QUESTION OF ALPINE HIGH SCHOOL UNANSWERED

 

By Sharon Penny

February 15, 2014 (El Cajon)--At the February 13 Grossmont Union High School District  (GUHSD) meeting, the Governing Board provided some recent positive outcomes in the district (see side story: Grossmont District Schools Shine Academically), but took a step back for democracy.

By a vote of 4-1, the Board adopted a resolution: “In Recognition of the Citizens’ Board Oversight Committee (CBOC) and Their Service to the Grossmont Union High School District.”  It  praises the District’s bond oversight committee-- but also aims to muzzle school board members from giving testimony to the oversight comittee.


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SENATOR KEHOE’S BILL TO PROTECT TENANTS' FREE SPEECH RIGHTS HEADS TO GOVERNOR

September 1, 2011 – Sen. Christine Kehoe’s (D-San Diego) legislation to allow renters to display political signs in their apartments and homes passed the Assembly today with bipartisan support and now heads to Gov. Jerry Brown for consideration.

 


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.