Unconstitutional | The Arizona Sun Times

New York City Law Allowing Non-Citizens to Vote Ruled Unconstitutional

February 23, 2024 Arizona Sun Times Staff

A New York City law that would allow non-citizens to vote in local elections was deemed unconstitutional by a state appeals court on Wednesday.

The law would have allowed roughly 800,000 green card holders and individuals with federal work authorization living in the Big Apple to vote in the city’s elections, including in mayoral and City Council elections. Democratic and Republican elected officials have been in a drawn-out legal battle over the law, and the court’s ruling Wednesday hands Democrats a defeat.

ACLU Declares Trump Gag Order to Be Unconstitutional

October 27, 2023 Arizona Sun Times Staff

On Wednesday, the far-left American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) made a surprising statement condemning a federal judge’s attempted gag order on former President Donald Trump.

As Politico reports, the ACLU’s statement came as a shock to many who support the group, as it had been one of Trump’s primary enemies during his presidency, frequently suing his administration to block many of his policies. But in a new friend-of-the-court brief, the ACLU agreed with Trump’s assertion that a gag order by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan is a violation of his First Amendment rights to freedom of speech, as well as a violation of the public’s right to hear him speak.

The Goldwater Institute Demands Arizona Cities cease Unconstitutional Labor Union Trapping Policies

February 22, 2023February 21, 2023 Neil Jones

The Arizona-based Goldwater Institute (GI) announced Tuesday it had sent letters to the cities of Phoenix and Tempe, demanding the governmental bodies to change allegedly unconstitutional labor union practices that keep employees trapped paying dues.

“We think it is critically important for government employers to respect public employees’ constitutional rights. Under the U.S. and Arizona constitutions, no one can be forced to remain a member of—or make payments to—any private organization, particularly if it engages in speech or political activity the person disagrees with. Unions are no exception, and cities should not be making deals to trap public employees into being union members or paying union dues,” said GI Staff Attorney Parker Jackson in a statement emailed to The Arizona Sun Times.
“We think it is critically important for government employers to respect public employees’ constitutional rights. Under the U.S. and Arizona constitutions, no one can be forced to remain a member of—or make payments to—any private organization, particularly if it engages in speech or political activity the person disagrees with. Unions are no exception, and cities should not be making deals to trap public employees into being union members or paying union dues,” said GI Staff Attorney Parker Jackson in a statement emailed to The Arizona Sun Times.

Arizona Freedom Caucus Vows to File Litigation Against Gov. Katie Hobbs for Alleged Illegal Executive Orders

January 10, 2023January 10, 2023 Neil Jones

PHOENIX, Arizona – Monday marked the opening day for the 56th Legislative Session, but before getting down to business, the Arizona Freedom Caucus (AFC) and a group of Republican Legislators from the House and Senate met with the press to state they would be filing a lawsuit against Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D).

“It’s become a modern phenomenon for Executive Branches across the country to try and legislate via executive order. We saw it with Barack Obama. We see it now with Joe Biden. And now, seemingly, Katie Hobbs, she also believes that she has the ability to legislate with the power of the pen, attempting to create law that simply does not exist,” said State Sen. Jake Hoffman (Queen Creek).

Goldwater Institute Achieves Victory for Pima County Taxpayers in ‘Balloondoggle’ Case

October 28, 2022October 27, 2022 Neil Jones

The Arizona-based Goldwater Institute (GI) announced Thursday that it had achieved victory in the state appellate court against Pima County on behalf of taxpayers for a scandal involving World View Enterprises (WVE).

“Arizona’s Constitution is crystal clear: Taxpayers shouldn’t have to shoulder the burden for corporate welfare. Yesterday’s ruling reinforces this edict, letting hardworking Arizonans off the hook for a ‘balloondoggle’ of epic proportions that sought to gamble with their own money,” said GI Vice President for Legal Affairs Timothy Sandefur in a statement emailed to the Arizona Sun Times.

Arizona Attorney General Brnovich Sues Biden Administration over Student Loan Debt Cancellation Program

October 3, 2022October 2, 2022 Rachel Alexander

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich filed another lawsuit against the Biden administration on Thursday, this time challenging the president’s authority to cancel student loan debt. He argued that it goes contrary to several recent Supreme Court decisions striking down federal agencies’ assertion of power never granted to them by Congress. The Biden administration intends to cancel $10,000 to $20,000 of student loan debt for people who make less than $125,000 annually, or $250,000 annually for a married person filing jointly.

In his lawsuit, Brnovich said, “This loan cancellation … is a naked handout by one administration and one party to favored political classes (college graduates and those employed by the higher education industry) at the expense of taxpayers everywhere.”

Paul Gosar and Other Arizona Reps. Blast the New Gun Restriction Bill That Passed the U.S. House

June 10, 2022June 9, 2022 Neil Jones

Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04) released a statement opposing a new gun restriction House Rule (HR) that passed through the US House yesterday, calling it “unconstitutional.”

“It didn’t take long for Joe Biden and House democrats to use the tragedies in Buffalo and Texas to push for more gun control measures. They blatantly disparage our God-given and Constitutionally protected right to self-defense. As crime rises to record levels across our country, thanks to democrat socialists who run our major cities, self-defense is more important than ever. In Washington, D.C., the democrats suggest with a straight face that if it wasn’t for a gun, these murderers would be well-adjusted individuals. Millions and millions of people are law abiding gun owners, knife owners and car owners. If a knife, car or gun is used in a crime, it is the person using those tools that should be prosecuted for their actions. Punishing law abiding gun owners is non-sensical and I won’t stand for it,” Gosar said.

Feds’ Pressure on Tech Platforms to Censor COVID ‘Misinformation’ Is Unconstitutional, Suit Says

March 29, 2022March 28, 2022 Arizona Sun Times Staff

The government’s sustained pressure on social media platforms to censor and report purported COVID-19 misinformation amounts to “state action” that violates the First Amendment, according to a lawsuit filed Friday on behalf of three Twitter users.

The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA), a frequent litigant against COVID-related administrative action, is representing theoretical cognitive scientist Mark Changizi, lawyer Michael Senger and stay-at-home father Daniel Kotzin.

Court Rules That Law Banning Handgun Sales to Americans Under 21 Is Unconstitutional

July 15, 2021July 14, 2021 Arizona Sun Times Staff

On Tuesday, a federal appeals court overturned a decades-long law that prohibited the sale of handguns to Americans under the age of 21, on the basis that it violated the Second Amendment, according to USA Today.

The law was first signed into law by Lyndon Johnson in 1968, and although it banned handguns for those under 21, it still allowed Americans as young as 18 to purchase rifles and shotguns. In the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Virginia, it was determined that the restriction for one type of gun based on a three-year age difference was arbitrary and had no merit.

Biden’s DOJ Comes Out Swinging Against West Virginia, Arkansas Trans Laws

June 19, 2021 Arizona Sun Times Staff

The Department of Justice argued in court filings Thursday that transgender legislation passed in West Virginia and Arkansas is unconstitutional.

The DOJ filed statements of interest supporting lawsuits filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) against West Virginia’s House Bill 3293 and Arkansas’ “Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act,” otherwise known as the SAFE Act.

The West Virginia bill bans biological males at public schools from participating in women’s sports in middle school, high school, and college. The SAFE Act prohibits physicians from performing gender transition procedures, such as puberty blockers or “top” and “bottom” surgeries, on minors.

Trump Antagonist Opposes Arizona Election Audit as Justice Department Official

May 18, 2021May 17, 2021 Arizona Sun Times Staff

A foe of former President Donald Trump is leading the Biden Justice Department’s push to discredit or halt an election audit in Arizona’s largest county—an issue that is heating up this week.

Pamela S. Karlan, principal deputy assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, warned the leader of the Arizona state Senate that the audit of Maricopa County’s election results in November could run afoul of federal law regarding security of voter information and voter intimidation.

President Joe Biden, who appointed Karlan, narrowly defeated Trump in Arizona, where Maricopa County was a crucial battleground.

Tag: Unconstitutional