National Roundup

Massachusetts Legislature approves transgender rights bill BOSTON (AP) -- The Massachusetts Senate has joined the House in passing a bill that would prohibit discrimination against transgender individuals. The measure was approved by the Senate Wednesday morning on a voice vote. No senator spoke against it. The House passed the bill Tuesday night but only after Democratic leaders moved to limit debate to one hour, cutting off many of the 50 or so amendments that had been filed by opponents. Some House Republicans had argued that the measure was unnecessary and could hurt small businesses that have transgender workers. Proponents of the bill agreed to drop a public accommodations section of the bill that critics warned would lead to a breakdown in privacy in bathrooms and other single-gender facilities. The bill still needs routine final approval votes in both branches. Connecticut Teeth-whitening rules challenged in court HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Connecticut's rules that only a dentist can provide certain teeth-whitening services are being challenged in court. The Institute for Justice filed the lawsuit in federal court in Hartford on Wednesday. The Arlington, Va.-based law firm says the state Dental Commission's regulations promote a monopoly for dentists by banning certain teeth whitening at salons and shopping malls. A spokesman for the state Department of Public Health says officials haven't read the lawsuit and won't comment. Regulations imposed in June cite inherent risks in teeth whitening and say whitening involves the practice of dentistry for diagnosing causes of discoloration, customizing treatment and other work. The Institute for Justice, which takes on libertarian causes, says the regulations have put several practitioners out of business. North Carolina Judge sets start of John Edwards trial for Jan. 30 GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) -- A federal judge has set the trial of former presidential candidate John Edwards to begin Jan. 30, a week earlier than the date prosecutors and defense lawyers had sought. U.S. District Court Judge Catherine Eagles signed an order Tuesday setting the schedule for Edwards' trial on charges of campaign finance violations at the federal courthouse in Greensboro, N.C. Edwards is accused of asking two wealthy campaign donors to provide nearly $1 million in secret payments used to hide his pregnant mistress as he sought the Democratic Party's nomination for the White House in 2007 and 2008. Edwards says he knew nothing of the checks, cash and private jets used to fly the woman, Rielle Hunter, across the country and put her up in luxury homes and hotels. Ohio State prepares for further executions LUCASVILLE, Ohio (AP) -- Ohio could execute at least seven condemned killers next year now that an unofficial moratorium on capital punishment has ended in the state and numerous inmates exhaust decades-old appeals. A U.S. judge's examination of the state's execution procedures and an unrelated decision by Gov. John Kasich to spare two prisoners halted executions for six months beginning in May. Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Gregory Frost ruled the state had addressed his concerns about problems with Ohio's execution policies, and in so doing he refused to delay the execution of Reginald Brooks, who shot his three sons as they slept in 1982, shortly after his wife filed for divorce. Brooks was executed Tuesday, with his hands clenched in an obscene gesture. At 66, he was the oldest person put to death since Ohio resumed executions in 1999. The next execution is Jan. 18, when Charles Lorraine is scheduled to die for stabbing an elderly couple to death in their home in 1986. Brooks was the fourth inmate in Ohio to be put to death using the surgical sedative pentobarbital as a stand-alone execution drug. State and federal courts rejected attorneys' arguments that Brooks was not mentally competent and that the government hid relevant evidence that could have affected his case. The execution was delayed by more than three hours as attorneys exhausted Brooks' appeals. The U.S. Supreme Court refused Tuesday to halt the execution. Defense attorneys did not comment after the execution and did not immediately respond to email and phone messages. Colorado Federal court considering challenges to porn law DENVER (AP) -- A federal appeals court in Denver is considering challenges to the federal law on child pornography after defendants argued that it's impossible to prove how they got the images. Possession of child pornography is a crime, but federal prosecutors are required to prove that the image of child pornography traveled across state lines. Attorneys for defendants from Colorado and Oklahoma told judges from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday that the government has not proved that the actual files they downloaded from the Internet had crossed state lines. The Denver Post says (http://bit.ly/uptzm1) the cases could unsettle the foundations of federal law on child pornography. In the two cases before the appellate court, the defendants argued that the original images may have been produced in other states, but the defendants contended there was no proof the individual files stored on their computers came from out of state. Attorney Kathleen Lord, who represents Colorado defendant Kenneth Sturm, said cases could still be pursued on the state level if proving federal jurisdiction is not possible. "This is not decriminalizing the possession of child pornography," she said. Government attorney Judy Smith said it's the content of the file that matters, not the files themselves. "Applying physical concepts in a digital world does not make sense," Smith told the appeals court. A ruling is not expected for several months. Published: Thu, Nov 17, 2011