Roberta Kaplan, the Campaign of Southern Equality’s lead attorney, filed the second of the lawsuits. This is the third lawsuit that seeks a temporary injunction to prevent the law’s effective date of July 1. It also marks the second time the central argument for the Establishment Clause to the First Amendment has been used. Hearings are scheduled for two of the three first cases next week. The Attorney General’s office is defending these lawsuits. The agency is already feeling the pressure. “I, along with over half our Civil Litigation Division lawyers, are working overtime and weekends to prepare for next week’s hearings. In a statement, Attorney General Jim Hood stated that he had to withdraw lawyers from other urgent cases. “Due to legislative budget reductions, we didn’t have the resources necessary to hire a learned specialist to assist us in preparing for the highly specialized law area… rarely litigated here in Mississippi — The Establishment Clause. The state will still be prepared to defend itself.” House Bill 1523, signed by Gov. Phil Bryant signed House Bill 1523 in April. It singles out three “sincerely held” religious beliefs that are worthy of protection. These include that marriage is between one man, one woman and that people shouldn’t have sex outside of marriages and that gender is determined at birth. Anyone who refuses to provide services to transgender people, gays, or lesbians is protected by the law. The newest lawsuit claims that allowing only certain religious beliefs to be supported while disregarding others is a violation of the Establishment Clause, which forbids the government from favoring any religion over the other. The governor did not reply to a request for comment. Hood, Judy Moulder and Hood are all defendants in the lawsuit. Despite overlaps in the lawsuits, Josh Kaye, an attorney representing both Campaign for Southern Equality, claims that each is crucial to removing the state’s “religious liberty” law. Kaye stated that CSE has been involved in these battles for many years and that they have a point of view that should be presented to court. “There are many reasons this law is not constitutional, and there are many independent reasons why it could be struck down now and in future. We want to ensure that a variety have been presented to the court.” Campaign for Southern Equality has a long history dealing with LGBT issues in Mississippi. They challenged Mississippi’s ban against gay marriage in 2014 and challenged the ban on gay adoptions in 2015. Both cases were won. Susan Hrostowski was the second plaintiff in the newest case. She was also a plaintiff of the adoption lawsuit. This case is also notable for her unique features. All four cases disagree with the law’s use “sincerely held religious belief”, but this lawsuit is the first to challenge this phrase. Hrostowski signed a declaration where she stated her “sincerely held religious belief” and “sacred
believes”.
All loving couples are eligible to marry and it is important to join
Hrostowski declared that they had joined in Christian prayer together. Kaye stated that the rash of lawsuits was largely due to timing. Three of the three complaints seek an injunction to prevent the law’s implementation. They must be heard by Kaye before July 1. He said that the “religious freedom law” is to blame for the high number of lawsuits. Kaye stated that when the legislature passes and the governor signs an unconstitutional law, they should expect that it will be challenged under the constitution. To support this work, you can make a regular donation to us today as part of the Spring Member Drive. Our reporters give a human face to policy’s impact on everyday Mississippians by listening more closely and understanding their communities. To ensure that our work is aligned with the priorities and needs of Mississippians, we are listening to you. Click the button below to let us know what you think. Republish this Story You can freely republish our articles online or in print under a Creative Commons licence. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Mississippi Today, Larrison Campbell
June 13, 2016, Larrison Campbell, a Greenville native, reports on politics with a focus on public health. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University, and a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Hood is still able to request the contents from Madison County ballot boxes, despite his groaning about overtime. Hood needs to be focused on the business of representing the state and not getting involved in politics at the local level. Don Drane should get off his high horse and stop ranting about a Mississippi State law that is unconstitutional. This State has been known for being amoral on every issue. Unfortunately, you are not responsible for determining the constitutionality state laws. Or did you wake up believing that? To see the Attorney General’s priorities, you don’t need a ‘high horse. His primary task is to defend the state and support its constitution, not play in local elections. I did not mention any state law. Maybe your problem is with reading comprehension. This is my name, not an anonymous substitute. Mississippi can’t afford it. Let the ADF, a fundamentalist dominionist lobbying group, pay the bill to defend 1523 in court. It was written after all.
My screenname is personal and has zero business value. I’d be glad to assist you with your high-horse Missy. Junior, please sit down.