Tag Archives: Nebraska

The same federal judge who last year struck down Nebraska’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage today issued a permanent injunction against the now moot law. The move was largely a formality but Judge Joseph Bataillon’s order comes after gay parents complained that the state had barred them from listing both their names on the birth certificates of their children.

Via the Associated Press: Nebraska’s defunct same-sex marriage ban could once again go before voters under a measure that seeks to remove it from the state constitution. Sen. Burke Harr of Omaha told a legislative committee Wednesday that his proposed amendment would ensure the constitution stays consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that allowed same-sex marriage. Voters approved the …

The abuse charge comes because the kids were duct-taped to their chairs. This case made a bit of news back in August when the boyfriend was arrested and now the mother has been charged too. The Smoking Gun has the arrest details: A Nebraska woman whose two young boys were forced to watch the film “Mommie Dearest” while duct-taped to …

The Associated Press reports: The Nebraska attorney general’s office is objecting to a new effort by a civil liberties group to have both same-sex spouses listed as parents on their children’s birth certificates. State attorneys argued in a news release Tuesday that plaintiffs in the case are adding statements from couples who were not part of their original lawsuit and …

Nebraska’s lone renegade county clerk has backed down. Sioux County Clerk Michelle Zimmerman was on vacation and unavailable for comment, but Deputy Clerk JoElla Norman said Friday that somebody in the office will issue a same-sex license if requested. Zimmerman was the only one out of 93 county clerks in Nebraska who said she would not issue a license in …

Via Omaha.com: A federal judge will not allow a Nebraska woman to be a legal spokeswoman for God and his son, Jesus Christ. Judge John Gerrard dismissed a lawsuit Wednesday filed against all homosexuals. Sylvia Driskell, 66, of Auburn, Nebraska, had asked the court last week to decide whether homosexuality is a sin. In a strongly worded opinion, the judge …

Sylvia Driskell’s lawsuit against all homosexuals has been assigned to former Nebraska Supreme Court Justice John Gerrard, who was nominated to the federal bench by Obama in 2011.

Via the Omaha World Herald: An Auburn woman claiming to be an ambassador for God and his son, Jesus Christ, is suing all homosexuals. Sylvia Driskell, 66, asked an Omaha federal judge to decide whether homosexuality is a sin. Citing Bible verses, Driskell contends “that homosexuality is a sin and that they the homosexuals know it is a sin to …

“On the court’s own motion, oral arguments and any further consideration of these cases will be deferred pending the Supreme Court of the Unites States’ decisions in James Obergefell v Richard Hodges.”

The attorneys general of fifteen states have filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in which they predictably argue that a ruling in favor of same-sex marriage will “irretrievably” destroy their right to self-government. From the brief:  The Constitution takes no sides on same-sex marriage, and therefore leaves the issue up to the free deliberations of state citizens. The …

It seems unlikely that we’d get a decision before the Supreme Court. But we’ve been surprised many times.

Last night a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against a recently-issued Labor Department policy that grants family medical leave benefits to married same-sex couples in states that forbid same-sex marriage. Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade: In a 24-page decision, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, an appointee of George W. Bush, issued the preliminary injunction based on the …

From the order: “Appellants’ Emergency Motion for Stay Pending Appeal has been considered by the court, and the motion is granted. The District Court’s Injunction Order of March 2, 2015 will be stayed pending the disposition of this appeal. It is further ordered that this case be set for oral argument in Omaha, Nebraska on May 12, 2015, together with …

The plaintiffs in Nebraska’s marriage equality case today filed their opposition to the state’s demand that the Eighth Circuit Court issue a stay on last week’s ruling, which is due to go into effect at 9AM local time on Monday. See the filing at Equality Case Files.

“The consequences of Judge Bataillon’s decision are real: his injunction undermines the democratically expressed will of the people, and it undermines the role of the family in our basic social order. Marriage is the civil institution that unites children with their mothers and fathers, not just the public recognition of a committed relationship for the fulfillment of adults. Every child …

“Discrimination against anyone based on their sexual orientation has no place in this country. Courts across the country are demanding equal treatment under the law, and today, Nebraska took a major stand against inequality in this country. This decision does not ask individuals to abandon their principles on the issue, but rather, to accept that this country is overwhelmingly diverse, …

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