Latest news with #StatesConstitution
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Puerto Rico permits nonbinary gender marker on birth certificates in landmark court decision
Puerto Rico's Supreme Court has reached a decision to allow nonbinary and gender-nonconforming people to update their birth certificates. The action was brought about by six non-binary individuals born in Puerto Rico who filed a lawsuit claiming that "the Commonwealth's current Birth Certificate Policy violates the right to equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, according to the court filing." The court's decision will now allow people who identify as nonbinary or gender-nonconforming to select "X" as their gender marker on birth certificates. Texas Lawmakers Considering Bill To Ban Gender Changes On Birth Certificates In the filing, the court explains that there would be no rational basis to deny the request. "The current Birth Certificate Policy of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico arbitrarily distinguishes between binary and nonbinary individuals and subjects nonbinary individuals to disfavored treatment, without any justification for doing so. In such cases, it is the duty of the federal courts to intervene, to guarantee the equal protection of all persons under the law," it states. Read On The Fox News App Pedro Julio Serrano, president of Puerto Rico's LGBTQ+ Federation, called Friday's ruling a historic one that upholds equality, according to the Associated Press. Transgender People Sue Trump Administration Over New Passport Policy Eliminating 'X' Gender Marker The defendants named in the case opposed the request, arguing that "the government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has a legitimate interest in maintaining vital records and statistics regarding its citizens." The filing argued that this argument ignores the fact that the Commonwealth already permits its citizens to amend information on their birth certificates, including modifying the gender marker. The legislators have already enacted legislation to ensure that, in the case of modifications, the original, unaltered birth certificates are preserved by the state. Puerto Rico joins at least 17 U.S. states that permit their residents to include the nonbinary or gender-neutral sex on their birth article source: Puerto Rico permits nonbinary gender marker on birth certificates in landmark court decision
Chicago Tribune
6 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Today in History: Janet Guthrie becomes the first woman to race the Indianapolis 500
Today is Thursday, May 29, the 149th day of 2025. There are 216 days left in the year. Today in history: On May 29, 1977, Janet Guthrie became the first woman to race in the Indianapolis 500, finishing in 29th place (A.J. Foyt won the race for his record fourth Indy 500 victory). Also on this date: In 1790, Rhode Island became the 13th and final original colony to ratify the United States Constitution. In 1914, the Canadian ocean liner RMS Empress of Ireland sank in the St. Lawrence River in eastern Quebec after colliding with the Norwegian cargo ship SS Storstad; of the 1,477 people on board the Empress of Ireland, 1,012 died. In 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest. In 1985, 39 people were killed at the European Cup Final in Brussels, Belgium, when rioting broke out and a wall separating British and Italian soccer fans collapsed. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev began their fourth summit meeting, in Moscow. In 2004, the World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was dedicated by President George W. Bush. In 2009, a judge in Los Angeles sentenced music producer Phil Spector to 19 years to life in prison for the murder of actor Lana Clarkson. (Spector remained in prison until his death in January 2021.) In 2020, fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. (Chauvin was convicted in April 2021 on those charges as well as unintentional second-degree murder.) Today's Birthdays: Basketball Hall of Famer Richie Guerin is 93. Actor Anthony Geary is 78. Singer Rebbie Jackson is 75. Musician-composer Danny Elfman is 72. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, is 71. Singer La Toya Jackson is 69. Actor Ted Levine is 68. Actor Annette Bening is 67. Actor Rupert Everett is 66. Musician Melissa Etheridge is 64. Musician Noel Gallagher is 58. Actor Laverne Cox is 53. Singer Melanie Brown (Spice Girls) is 50. Basketball Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony is 41. Actor Riley Keough is 36.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Georgia Supreme Court upholds law banning those under 21 carrying handgun in public
ATLANTA (WSAV) —The Georgia Supreme Court upheld the state law that prohibits those under 21 years old from carrying handguns in public Wednesday. Georgia's highest court rejected the appeal by a 20-year-old who wanted to carry a handgun 'beyond the limited ways he can under Georgia law.' Georgia law does not allow people under 21 from publicly carrying a handgun, except for members of the military. Georgians who are at least 18 years old are still allowed to possess and carry handguns on their own property, in their car and in their place of business. They also can use handguns and long guns for hunting, fishing or sport shooting with a license. Stephens and the Georgia 2nd Amendment group sued the state after a probate court denied him a weapons carry license. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr's office previously filed a motion to dismiss the suit, which was granted. Stephens and the group appealed, but the Georgia 2nd Amendment later withdrew their appeal. Stephens did not allege that this statute violates the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, but that it violated a portion of the Georgia Constitution of 1983, court documents reported. The Supreme Court said that the law doesn't violate Article I, Section I, Paragraph VIII of the Georgia Constitution. The justices quoted Paragraph VIII of Georgia's current Constitution which says, '[t]he right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, but the General Assembly shall have power to prescribe the manner in which arms may be borne.' Read the full decision here: 2025-s25a0334Download Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tennessee Calls for Replacing the Federal Income Tax with the FAIRtax
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., May 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 24, 2025, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed resolution HJR17 to urge the United States Congress to repeal all taxes on income, enact a national retail sales tax as specified in the FAIRtax Act H.R 25, and repeal the 16th Amendment to the United States Constitution. In the passage process, Jack Johnson, Tennessee Senate leader stated, "Keep in mind, our framers never contemplated that the federal government would tax income." He later went on to say, "House Joint Resolution 17 would urge Congress to pass the FAIRtax Act and repeal the 16th Amendment, replacing all federal income-based taxes with national retail sales taxes."The video is at: The following is the substance of the actual resolution that is available at: WHEREAS, Tennessee successfully maintains government functions without a personal income tax; and WHEREAS, Tennessee's reliance on the retail sales tax since 1947 and elimination of the state personal income tax has proven successful in attracting an ever increasing number of businesses moving operations and facilities to Tennessee, creating substantial additional jobs; and WHEREAS, Amendment 3, the Tennessee Income Tax Prohibition Act, which was approved by voters in 2014, amended the State Constitution to prohibit the levying, authorizing, or permitting any state or local tax upon payroll or earned personal income. WHEREAS, Tennessee is a model that demonstrates the success of the consumption tax versus the repressive and suppressive effects on individual production and savings. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE CONCURRING, that the members of this General Assembly do hereby urge the United States Congress to enact H.R. 25, the Fair Tax Act of 2023, which eliminates the personal income tax, the alternative minimum tax, the inheritance tax, the gift tax, the capital gains tax, the corporate income tax, the self-employment tax, and the employee and employer payroll tax, and replaces them with a national retail sales tax. A copy of this resolution will be transmitted to the President of the United States and each member of the Tennessee Congressional Delegation. Learn more about the truth in taxation at View the two-minute videos of The FAIRtax – What is It? and What is the Prebate? Florida Fair Tax Educational Association is a 501(c) (3) to inform and educate the citizens on alternatives to the current system of federal taxation based on the following principles: fairness, simplicity, transparency, pro-economic growth and revenue neutrality. Florida Fair Tax Educational AssociationPO Box 23346Jacksonville, FL 32241 Hand out FAIRtax literature. Get free FAIRtax palm cards and Prebate cards at Printed Materials – FAIRtax Store. References and sources: The Tax Deception by John Gaver The FairTax Book by Neal Boortz and John Linder FairTax: The Truth by Neal Boortz and John Linder Contacts Americans for FAIR Taxation Steve Hayes, President, and Randy Fischer, Marketing, 800-FAIRTAX and 395477@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Florida FAIRtax Educational Association Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Birmingham mayor, city council file lawsuit against state over water utility board changes
The skyline of Birmingham, Alabama. Birmingham officials have filed a lawsuit against a new state law that would reduce the number of appointments from the city to the Birmingham Water Works Board. (John Coletti/The Image Bank) The Alabama Legislature's 2025 session is over, and the lawsuits have begun. After state lawmakers passed a bill reducing Birmingham's appointments to the Birmingham Water Works Board (BWWB), Birmingham officials filed a federal lawsuit to try to protect their controlling interest in the utility. The city government currently appoints six of the nine directors on the board; SB 330, sponsored by Sen. Dan Roberts, R-Mountain Brook, converts BWWB into a regional authority with seven members and a single appointment from the city. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A hearing on the lawsuit, filed before Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bill on May 7, was scheduled for Thursday but postponed. The law does not explicitly mention BWWB but its provisions reflect the make-up of the water utility. Currently, two directors are appointed by the mayor while the Birmingham City Council appoints four members. A message was left with Gov. Kay Ivey's office Thursday seeking comment. Proponents of the legislation said it was necessary to impose changes. In the past, the water utility has been beset with issues with billing, oversight and concerns over public trust. Customers reported concerns with unread meters and inaccurate water bills. Under Roberts' bill, the governor, lieutenant governor and counties that own a major reservoir would each get an appointment. Birmingham's mayor and the president of the Jefferson County Commission also get an appointment. The governor's appointment must come from one of the counties served by the utility. Another county located outside the area where the utility is based gets to also appoint a board member. The governing body of the municipality where the regional water utility is located appoints a director. Finally, that law states that a resident where the water utility is located may also be a member of the Board. The remaining members are selected, respectively, by the Jefferson County Mayors Association, the Shelby County Commission and Blount County Commission. The lawsuit alleges the bill the equal rights and due process protections in the U.S. and Alabama constitutions. The lawsuit says that lawmakers in the Legislature, most of whom are white, reduced the power of officials in Birmingham whose population is 67% Black and forms 41% of the utility's customer base. The lawsuit also notes that other areas with representation are mostly white. In Blount County, it says, only about 2% of the residents are Black, and in Walker County, only 6% are Black. 'SB330 violates the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution,' the lawsuit states. Plaintiffs listed in the lawsuit also stated that the law violates their right to due process because any changes to the board require changes to the Certificate of Incorporation, which is not part of the legislation, that must be approved by Birmingham City Council. The law changes the Certificate of Incorporation by reducing the number of members that the city council may appoint, which members of the Council did not approve. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
