Texas
Faith leaders and families sue to block new Ten Commandments in schools law
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A group of Dallas-area families and faith leaders have filed a lawsuit seeking to block a new Texas law that requires copies of the Ten Commandments be posted in every public school classroom.
The federal lawsuit, filed Tuesday, claims the measure is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of church and state.
Texas is the latest and largest state to attempt a mandate that has run into legal challenges elsewhere. A federal appeals court on Friday blocked a similar law in Louisiana. Some families have sued over Arkansas’ law.
The plaintiffs in the Texas lawsuit are a group of Christian and Nation of Islam faith leaders and families. It names the Texas Education Agency, state education Commissioner Mike Morath and three Dallas-area school districts as defendants.
“The government should govern; the Church should minister,” the lawsuit said. “Anything else is a threat to the soul of both our democracy and our faith.”
Ten Commandments laws are among efforts, mainly in conservative-led states, to insert religion into public schools. Supporters say the Ten Commandments are part of the foundation of the United States’ judicial and educational systems and should be displayed.
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed the Ten Commandments measure into law on June 21. He also has enacted a measure requiring school districts to provide students and staff a daily voluntary period of prayer or time to read a religious text during school hours.
The Texas Education Agency did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Abbott, who was Texas attorney general in 2005 when he successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court to keep a Ten Commandments monument on the state Capitol grounds, defended the state classrooms law in a social media post on Wednesday.
“Faith and freedom are the foundation of our nation,” Abbott posted on X. “If anyone sues, we’ll win that battle.”
Opponents say the Ten Commandments and prayer measures infringe on others’ religious freedom, and more lawsuits are expected. The American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom From Religion Foundation have said they will file lawsuits opposing the Ten Commandments measure.
Under the new law, public schools must post in classrooms a 16-by-20-inch (41-by-51-centimeter) or larger poster or framed copy of a specific English version of the commandments, even though translations and interpretations vary across denominations, faiths and languages and may differ in homes and houses of worship.
The lawsuit notes that Texas has nearly 6 million students in about 9,100 public schools, including thousands of students of faiths that have little or no connection to the Ten Commandments, or may have no faith at all.
The Texas Education Agency did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. The law takes effect Sept. 1, but most public school districts start the upcoming school year in August.
Montana
Tribes move to join lawsuit challenging election laws
A group of tribes in Montana alleges a new election law will disenfranchise Native voters and has moved to join a lawsuit challenging it.
On Tuesday, the ACLU of Montana, American Civil Liberties Union nationally and Native American Rights Fund filed a motion to intervene in an existing case on behalf of a group of tribal plaintiffs, including the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, Blackfeet Nation, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Fort Belknap Indian Community and Western Native Voice.
In their complaint, the group of tribal plaintiffs argues the changes to Election Day voter registration outlined in Senate Bill 490 disproportionately harm Native Americans in rural and tribal communities who already face significant barriers to voting.
Sponsored by Sen. Mike Cuffe, R-Eureka, SB 490 changes the deadline for registering to vote or changing voter information. Where previously anyone in line by 8 p.m. on Election Day could register to vote and then cast a ballot, the new law, signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte on May 5, closes voter registration at noon on Election Day (generally Tuesdays) and ends the ability to register on the Monday before an election. State lawmakers who supported the legislation argued it would curb long lines and benefit election workers; opponents said it was unconstitutional.
“(SB 490) disproportionately burdens Native voters compared to non-Native voters due to inequities in mail delivery service, internet access, access to post offices and post office boxes, and increased burdens on Native voters due to disproportionate rates of poverty and lack of vehicle access,” tribal plaintiffs allege in their complaint.
Northern Cheyenne Tribal President Gene Small called SB 490 “anti-democratic.”
“When you live miles and miles from the nearest polling place, and the roads are snowed in all morning, taking away eight hours of Election Day registration creates real life problems for everyday voters,” he said in a statement.
The lawsuit, originally filed in May by the Montana Federation of Public Employees, also challenges Senate Bill 276, also brought by Cuffe, which revises voter identification laws. The law requires a voter’s ID to be “current, valid and readable” and eliminates the ability for a voter who cannot provide an ID to provide other forms of identification to vote. Those forms could include a bank statement or utility bill.
While tribal plaintiffs did not address SB 276 in their complaint, the Montana Federation of Public Employees, the state’s largest union, called SB 276 and SB 490 “plainly unconstitutional,” saying they infringe on Montanans’ right to vote. The organization specifically alleged that SB 490 would cause confusion among voters and election workers, and that SB 276 “arbitrarily heightens the requirements for acceptable voter IDs” while eliminating “an important safety net for those who are unable to meet them.”
The Montana Federation of Public Employees filed the lawsuit in the Montana First Judicial District Court of Lewis and Clark County on May 12, just seven days after Gianforte signed the bills into law.
Tribes in Montana have for years successfully challenged election laws they say will harm Native voters.
In 2018, Montana voters approved a ballot measure, the Ballot Interference Prevention Act, which placed restrictions on ballot collection. Montana tribes and Native voting organizations in 2020 filed a lawsuit challenging the measure. Months later, a district court struck down the law.
In 2021, the state Legislature passed House Bill 176, which required voters to register no later than noon on the day before the election, and House Bill 530, prohibiting some people from distributing or collecting mail-in ballots from voters. The ACLU of Montana and Native American Rights Fund filed a lawsuit on behalf of several tribes and Native organizations, alleging the laws disenfranchised Native voters. And in March 2024, the Montana Supreme Court ruled the laws violated the state’s constitution.
“It’s racism to try and enact the same laws over again,” Fort Belknap Indian Community President Jeffrey Stiffarm said in a statement. “We will not let the state drag us backwards or silence our people.”
Colorado
Man indicted on 12 hate crime charges in attack on Boulder demonstration for Israeli hostages
DENVER (AP) — A man accused of hurling Molotov cocktails at a group of people demonstrating in Boulder, Colorado, in support of Israeli hostages has been indicted by a federal grand jury on 12 hate crime counts.
Soliman was initially charged with only one hate crime count in federal court in the June 1 attack on demonstrators. The federal grand jury indictment, which was filed in court Tuesday, had been expected for weeks as a formality in advancing the felony criminal case toward trial. It is routine for prosecutors to add charges beyond the crimes alleged in an initial criminal complaint.
The indictment accuses Soliman of trying to kill eight people who were hurt by the Molotov cocktails and targeting them because of their perceived or actual national origin, which prosecutors say was their perceived or actual connection and support for Israel. He was also indicted for another hate crime for trying to kill the others at the event or nearby who were not injured.
Soliman was also charged with two counts of using a fire and explosive to commit a felony and one count of possessing an explosive device while committing a felony, which are also considered to be hate crimes.
Investigators say Soliman told them he had intended to kill the roughly 20 participants at the weekly demonstration on Boulder’s Pearl Street pedestrian mall, but threw just two of his over two dozen Molotov cocktails while yelling “Free Palestine.” Soliman, who is also being prosecuted in state court for attempted murder and other charges, told investigators he tried to buy a gun but was not able to because he was not a “legal citizen.”
He posed as a gardener, wearing a construction vest, to get close to the group before launching the attack, according to court documents.
Federal authorities say Soliman, an Egyptian national, has been living in the U.S. illegally with his family.
Soliman is being represented in state and federal court by public defenders who do not comment on their cases to the media.
At a hearing last week, Soliman’s defense attorney, David Kraut, urged Magistrate Judge Kathryn Starnella not to allow the case to move forward because he said the alleged attack was not a hate crime.
Instead, he said it was motivated by opposition to the political movement of Zionism. An attack motivated by someone’s political views is not considered a hate crime under federal law.
Soliman is scheduled to appear in federal court on Friday for a hearing in which he may be asked to enter a plea to the charges.
Washington
Justices side with Texas death row inmate seeking DNA testing to show he shouldn’t be executed
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled for a Texas death row inmate who is seeking DNA testing to show he should be ineligible for execution.
The 6-3 decision in favor of Ruben Gutierrez gives him a potential path to have evidence tested that his lawyers say would help prove he was not responsible for the fatal stabbing of an 85-year-old woman during a home robbery decades ago.
His lawyers have said there was no physical or forensic evidence connecting him to the killing and that he was not a major participant in the crime. Two others also were charged in the case.
Gutierrez’s lawyers argued that his case was similar to that of Rodney Reed, another longtime death row inmate in Texas who also won a round at the Supreme Court in his fight for DNA testing that he says would show he is innocent of murder.
In July, the high court granted Gutierrez a stay of execution 20 minutes before he was to receive a lethal injection.
Gutierrez was sentenced to death for the 1998 killing of Escolastica Harrison at her home in Brownsville in Texas’ southern tip. Prosecutors said the killing of the mobile home park manager and retired teacher was part of an attempt to steal more than $600,000 that she had hidden in her home because of her mistrust of banks.
Gutierrez had several previous execution dates in recent years that were delayed, including over issues related to having a spiritual adviser in the death chamber. In June 2020, Gutierrez was about an hour from execution when he received a stay from the Supreme Court.
Faith leaders and families sue to block new Ten Commandments in schools law
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A group of Dallas-area families and faith leaders have filed a lawsuit seeking to block a new Texas law that requires copies of the Ten Commandments be posted in every public school classroom.
The federal lawsuit, filed Tuesday, claims the measure is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of church and state.
Texas is the latest and largest state to attempt a mandate that has run into legal challenges elsewhere. A federal appeals court on Friday blocked a similar law in Louisiana. Some families have sued over Arkansas’ law.
The plaintiffs in the Texas lawsuit are a group of Christian and Nation of Islam faith leaders and families. It names the Texas Education Agency, state education Commissioner Mike Morath and three Dallas-area school districts as defendants.
“The government should govern; the Church should minister,” the lawsuit said. “Anything else is a threat to the soul of both our democracy and our faith.”
Ten Commandments laws are among efforts, mainly in conservative-led states, to insert religion into public schools. Supporters say the Ten Commandments are part of the foundation of the United States’ judicial and educational systems and should be displayed.
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed the Ten Commandments measure into law on June 21. He also has enacted a measure requiring school districts to provide students and staff a daily voluntary period of prayer or time to read a religious text during school hours.
The Texas Education Agency did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Abbott, who was Texas attorney general in 2005 when he successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court to keep a Ten Commandments monument on the state Capitol grounds, defended the state classrooms law in a social media post on Wednesday.
“Faith and freedom are the foundation of our nation,” Abbott posted on X. “If anyone sues, we’ll win that battle.”
Opponents say the Ten Commandments and prayer measures infringe on others’ religious freedom, and more lawsuits are expected. The American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom From Religion Foundation have said they will file lawsuits opposing the Ten Commandments measure.
Under the new law, public schools must post in classrooms a 16-by-20-inch (41-by-51-centimeter) or larger poster or framed copy of a specific English version of the commandments, even though translations and interpretations vary across denominations, faiths and languages and may differ in homes and houses of worship.
The lawsuit notes that Texas has nearly 6 million students in about 9,100 public schools, including thousands of students of faiths that have little or no connection to the Ten Commandments, or may have no faith at all.
The Texas Education Agency did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. The law takes effect Sept. 1, but most public school districts start the upcoming school year in August.
Montana
Tribes move to join lawsuit challenging election laws
A group of tribes in Montana alleges a new election law will disenfranchise Native voters and has moved to join a lawsuit challenging it.
On Tuesday, the ACLU of Montana, American Civil Liberties Union nationally and Native American Rights Fund filed a motion to intervene in an existing case on behalf of a group of tribal plaintiffs, including the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, Blackfeet Nation, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Fort Belknap Indian Community and Western Native Voice.
In their complaint, the group of tribal plaintiffs argues the changes to Election Day voter registration outlined in Senate Bill 490 disproportionately harm Native Americans in rural and tribal communities who already face significant barriers to voting.
Sponsored by Sen. Mike Cuffe, R-Eureka, SB 490 changes the deadline for registering to vote or changing voter information. Where previously anyone in line by 8 p.m. on Election Day could register to vote and then cast a ballot, the new law, signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte on May 5, closes voter registration at noon on Election Day (generally Tuesdays) and ends the ability to register on the Monday before an election. State lawmakers who supported the legislation argued it would curb long lines and benefit election workers; opponents said it was unconstitutional.
“(SB 490) disproportionately burdens Native voters compared to non-Native voters due to inequities in mail delivery service, internet access, access to post offices and post office boxes, and increased burdens on Native voters due to disproportionate rates of poverty and lack of vehicle access,” tribal plaintiffs allege in their complaint.
Northern Cheyenne Tribal President Gene Small called SB 490 “anti-democratic.”
“When you live miles and miles from the nearest polling place, and the roads are snowed in all morning, taking away eight hours of Election Day registration creates real life problems for everyday voters,” he said in a statement.
The lawsuit, originally filed in May by the Montana Federation of Public Employees, also challenges Senate Bill 276, also brought by Cuffe, which revises voter identification laws. The law requires a voter’s ID to be “current, valid and readable” and eliminates the ability for a voter who cannot provide an ID to provide other forms of identification to vote. Those forms could include a bank statement or utility bill.
While tribal plaintiffs did not address SB 276 in their complaint, the Montana Federation of Public Employees, the state’s largest union, called SB 276 and SB 490 “plainly unconstitutional,” saying they infringe on Montanans’ right to vote. The organization specifically alleged that SB 490 would cause confusion among voters and election workers, and that SB 276 “arbitrarily heightens the requirements for acceptable voter IDs” while eliminating “an important safety net for those who are unable to meet them.”
The Montana Federation of Public Employees filed the lawsuit in the Montana First Judicial District Court of Lewis and Clark County on May 12, just seven days after Gianforte signed the bills into law.
Tribes in Montana have for years successfully challenged election laws they say will harm Native voters.
In 2018, Montana voters approved a ballot measure, the Ballot Interference Prevention Act, which placed restrictions on ballot collection. Montana tribes and Native voting organizations in 2020 filed a lawsuit challenging the measure. Months later, a district court struck down the law.
In 2021, the state Legislature passed House Bill 176, which required voters to register no later than noon on the day before the election, and House Bill 530, prohibiting some people from distributing or collecting mail-in ballots from voters. The ACLU of Montana and Native American Rights Fund filed a lawsuit on behalf of several tribes and Native organizations, alleging the laws disenfranchised Native voters. And in March 2024, the Montana Supreme Court ruled the laws violated the state’s constitution.
“It’s racism to try and enact the same laws over again,” Fort Belknap Indian Community President Jeffrey Stiffarm said in a statement. “We will not let the state drag us backwards or silence our people.”
Colorado
Man indicted on 12 hate crime charges in attack on Boulder demonstration for Israeli hostages
DENVER (AP) — A man accused of hurling Molotov cocktails at a group of people demonstrating in Boulder, Colorado, in support of Israeli hostages has been indicted by a federal grand jury on 12 hate crime counts.
Soliman was initially charged with only one hate crime count in federal court in the June 1 attack on demonstrators. The federal grand jury indictment, which was filed in court Tuesday, had been expected for weeks as a formality in advancing the felony criminal case toward trial. It is routine for prosecutors to add charges beyond the crimes alleged in an initial criminal complaint.
The indictment accuses Soliman of trying to kill eight people who were hurt by the Molotov cocktails and targeting them because of their perceived or actual national origin, which prosecutors say was their perceived or actual connection and support for Israel. He was also indicted for another hate crime for trying to kill the others at the event or nearby who were not injured.
Soliman was also charged with two counts of using a fire and explosive to commit a felony and one count of possessing an explosive device while committing a felony, which are also considered to be hate crimes.
Investigators say Soliman told them he had intended to kill the roughly 20 participants at the weekly demonstration on Boulder’s Pearl Street pedestrian mall, but threw just two of his over two dozen Molotov cocktails while yelling “Free Palestine.” Soliman, who is also being prosecuted in state court for attempted murder and other charges, told investigators he tried to buy a gun but was not able to because he was not a “legal citizen.”
He posed as a gardener, wearing a construction vest, to get close to the group before launching the attack, according to court documents.
Federal authorities say Soliman, an Egyptian national, has been living in the U.S. illegally with his family.
Soliman is being represented in state and federal court by public defenders who do not comment on their cases to the media.
At a hearing last week, Soliman’s defense attorney, David Kraut, urged Magistrate Judge Kathryn Starnella not to allow the case to move forward because he said the alleged attack was not a hate crime.
Instead, he said it was motivated by opposition to the political movement of Zionism. An attack motivated by someone’s political views is not considered a hate crime under federal law.
Soliman is scheduled to appear in federal court on Friday for a hearing in which he may be asked to enter a plea to the charges.
Washington
Justices side with Texas death row inmate seeking DNA testing to show he shouldn’t be executed
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled for a Texas death row inmate who is seeking DNA testing to show he should be ineligible for execution.
The 6-3 decision in favor of Ruben Gutierrez gives him a potential path to have evidence tested that his lawyers say would help prove he was not responsible for the fatal stabbing of an 85-year-old woman during a home robbery decades ago.
His lawyers have said there was no physical or forensic evidence connecting him to the killing and that he was not a major participant in the crime. Two others also were charged in the case.
Gutierrez’s lawyers argued that his case was similar to that of Rodney Reed, another longtime death row inmate in Texas who also won a round at the Supreme Court in his fight for DNA testing that he says would show he is innocent of murder.
In July, the high court granted Gutierrez a stay of execution 20 minutes before he was to receive a lethal injection.
Gutierrez was sentenced to death for the 1998 killing of Escolastica Harrison at her home in Brownsville in Texas’ southern tip. Prosecutors said the killing of the mobile home park manager and retired teacher was part of an attempt to steal more than $600,000 that she had hidden in her home because of her mistrust of banks.
Gutierrez had several previous execution dates in recent years that were delayed, including over issues related to having a spiritual adviser in the death chamber. In June 2020, Gutierrez was about an hour from execution when he received a stay from the Supreme Court.
