Threats to Parental Rights Spark Political Battles in Delaware, Ohio

Recent statewide policy proposals in both Delaware and Ohio have captured the attention of national media outlets and highlight a growing phenomenon of government infringement on parental rights, one which has triggered a political firestorm. Moreover, the status of these proposals still remains up in the air, putting legal protection for parental rights in a precarious position in both states — as well as, potentially, the rest of the country. The most recent development came last week, when Delaware Gov. John Carney’s administration announced its decision to scrap a proposed statewide anti-bias policy for schools in all nineteen of the

Do Pro-Life Democrats Have a Future?

Late last month, the Missouri Democratic Party announced a new platform, containing an amendment that has since raised a great deal of controversy within the party. At their quarterly meeting, the Missouri Democratic Party approved updates to their ten-year-old platform and included an unexpectedly welcoming caveat for pro-life party members: We respect the conscience of each Missourian and recognize that members of our party have deeply held and sometimes differing positions on issues of personal conscience, such as abortion. We recognize the diversity of views as a source of strength, and welcome into our ranks all Missourians who may hold

States Seek to Bolster Pro-Life Laws Ahead of Possible Roe v. Wade Reversal

This November, both Alabama and West Virginia will vote on proposed state constitutional amendments which stipulate that a right to abortion is not protected at the state level. Although both state legislatures approved the ballot measures last April and May, the two initiatives could have more immediate relevance than expected if Judge Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed and the Supreme Court shifts toward a conservative majority. Since Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement in late June, conservatives and liberals alike have speculated about the likelihood of a potential court reversal of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court case that

Independence Day? Firework Laws Limit Liberty in Some States

Today, Americans across the nation will continue a tradition that was first sparked in 1777: lighting fireworks. In the earliest days of aerial explosions memorializing our nation’s birth, firework explosions were short, and lacked the variety of colors found at modern day shows. As European courts competed with each other for the best pyrotechnic displays, fireworks made their way to the thirteen colonies, and by 1776, some founding fathers considered them a necessary element of celebratory fanfare for America’s birthday. “I am apt to believe that [Independence Day] will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival,” John

Education Expert: Mass. Schools Replacing History with “Progressive Propaganda”

In a white paper released today by the Pioneer Institute in Boston, entitled “No Longer a City on a Hill: Massachusetts Degrades its K-12 History Standards”, education policy experts outline a strong case against the 2018 rewrite of the Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Framework. The paper examines the politicized, progressive bent of the proposed changes and argues that the curriculum rewrite “eviscerates” the standards for history education previously used by the state, which were widely acknowledged as among the best in the nation. “It’s truly a travesty to see the loss of curriculum standards that helped catapult Massachusetts

New Poll: Majority of Americans Support Strong Limits on Abortion

Results from Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs poll released this week reveal that the majority of Americans are in favor of placing legal restrictions on abortion. According to the poll, 50 percent of Americans believe abortions should only be available “under certain circumstances,” and the majority of this group believe only a “few circumstances” warrant protection. Eighteen percent of respondents said it should be illegal in all circumstances, while 29 percent said abortion should be available under any circumstance. Looking at the combined numbers, a majority of Americans (53 percent) believe abortion should either be illegal or limited significantly —

Supreme Court Backs Christian Baker in Gay Wedding Cake Case

Today, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips, a Colorado baker who declined to make a wedding cake for a same-sex marriage ceremony in 2012. The Court’s ruling in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission was 7-2, with Justice Anthony Kennedy writing the majority opinion. The six-year long case pitted religious liberty against anti-discrimination claims, but the Court ultimately sided with Phillips. In 2012, Phillips turned down a request to bake a wedding cake for Charlie Craig and David Mullins on the grounds that doing so would imply support for same-sex marriage and therefore violate his

Progressives Seek to Impose Gender Ideology on Va. School Curricula

School board members in Fairfax County, Va., are poised to vote June 14 on whether to implement changes regarding gender identity issues in the Family Life Education (FLE) curriculum for the county’s middle schoolers and high schoolers. Recommended changes to the current curriculum include redefining biological sex; adding lesson plans about gender identity and transgender ideology from a overtly biased perspective; and, perhaps most crucially, removing parents’ ability to opt-out their children from FLE programs. While this radical agenda may currently be limited to progressive strongholds, it is representative of the direction our country is headed in: one in which