Supreme Court Blocks New York COVID-19 Restrictions on Houses of Worship
The Supreme Court issuing an injunction that New York governor Andrew Cuomo cannot enforce his new occupancy limits on religious institutions in his state—new justice Amy Coney Barrett casting the deciding vote. Similar decisions before she came to the Court in California and Nevada went the other way. … Governor Andrew Cuomo has come under […]
COVID-19 Lockdowns in New York: A Matter of Religious Freedom?
On Oct. 7, 2020, Harold Tischler, an Orthodox Jewish activist was arrested and charged with inciting a riot and the unlawful imprisonment of Jacob Korbluh, a journalist, during a protest in Borough Park, Brooklyn. Tischler, an activist, radio talk show host and candidate for Brooklyn City Council is known for speaking out against the COVID-19 […]
New York Nursing Homes in Crisis During COVID-19 Pandemic
On Mar. 25, 2020, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an order requiring nursing homes to accept on an expedited basis all new or returning residents with confirmed or presumed COVID-19 who are discharged from the hospital after being diagnosed as medically stable. The order states: No resident shall be denied re-admission or admission to […]
New York on PAUSE During COVID-19 Outbreak
New York has been struggling with responding to one of the worst COVD-19 outbreaks in the world. As of Apr. 25, 2020, an estimated 271,600 people in New York State and 141,754 in New York City have been infected with COVID-19.1 In response to this health crisis, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has issued an […]
Amish Children to Be Denied an Education in New York
An Amish family filed a lawsuit in October 2019 arguing that the removal of the religious exemption to vaccination mandated for school attendance violated their rights under the New York Constitution. The family had three unvaccinated children, who were shut out of a private school that enrolled only 24 students, all of whom were Amish […]
2020: Both Sides All In, As Vaccine Legislation Revs Up
There were a record 221 vaccine-related pieces of legislation introduced across 40 states (plus Washington, DC) in 2019. Some battles were won, some were lost, while other battles loom in the near future. 2020 is likely to be a crucial year in the U.S. for medical choice, parental consent, religious freedom, open debate, and Constitutionally-guaranteed […]