The high court erases a stigma
Article Abstract:
The US Supreme Court's May 20, 1996, decision in Romer v Evans is legalistic ly dissatisfying but marks a vitally important turning point by accepting lesbians and gay men as a class of citizens with a legitimate claim to rights. This undoes the sneering tone of Bowers v Hardwick and will certainly change the future of the law. The court ruled 6-3 that Colorado's Amendment Two violated the 14th Amendment's 'equal protection' clause. Justice Antonin Scalia's dissent is remarkable for its vitriol but cannot dispel the effects of this transition.
Publication Name: The National Law Journal
Subject: Law
ISSN: 0162-7325
Year: 1996
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Decisions expand equal protection rights; court ends exclusion of women at VMI and grants equal protection status to gay men and lesbians
Article Abstract:
The US Supreme Court issued two rulings during its 1995-96 term which expanded equal protection rights. Romer v. Evans invalidated an amendment to Colorado's constitution barring any state claims of discrimination against gays, while United States v. Virginia ruled that excluding women from the publicly funded Virginia Military Institute was unconstitutional, as was remedying this situation by funding a separate and blatantly unequal program at a private women's college.
Publication Name: The National Law Journal
Subject: Law
ISSN: 0162-7325
Year: 1996
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Term limits wrong - and beside the point
Article Abstract:
Term limits fail to address the real problem in American democracy, the dearth of political leadership. Moreover, they violate one of the basic tenets of that democracy, the right of the people to choose their government. Term limits disqualify a whole group of people based on their professional experience, not their personal merit. Campaign finance reform is the only measure which would really resolve the nation's dearth of leaders.
Publication Name: The National Law Journal
Subject: Law
ISSN: 0162-7325
Year: 1995
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