The Center for Reproductive Rights voiced disappointment yesterday with President Barack Obama’s proposed FY2014 budget, which retains a ban on coverage for abortion in the Medicaid program except under extremely limited circumstances, a policy also known as the Hyde Amendment. However, the budget included two positive steps to promote equal health care coverage for some women, [...]

I’m posting in segments this week because I’m running behind schedule. +++ American Atheists has lost its most recent bid to have the cross removed from Ground Zero at the 9/11 Memorial. At the 50th anniversary convention last weekend, David Silverman, president of AA, took the stage upon being informed of the decision. “We will [...]

Religious Freedoms The Kentucky legislature overwhelmingly voted Tuesday night to override the governor’s veto of HB 279, a controversial “religious freedom” bill. The one paragraph bill states: Government shall not substantially burden a person’s freedom of religion. The right to act or refuse to act in a manner motivated by a sincerely held religious belief [...]

The U.S. Supreme Court today is hearing oral arguments in a case about the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a federal law that bars federal government recognition of the marriages of same-sex couples. Yesterday, the justices heard arguments in a case dealing with Proposition 8, a California constitutional amendment that removed the right of same-sex [...]

Religious Freedoms Last week we reported on the Kansas City Atheist Coalition being denied permission to participate in its city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade because of their lack of religious belief. No other non-Catholic or secular groups were prohibited. The KC Atheists went to the parade anyway, holding signs that protested the discrimination and [...]