Latest Constitutions News

Federal judge rules Texas university that canceled drag show didn't violate free speech rights

Sep. 22, 2023 16:50 PM EDT

A federal judge has ruled that a university in the Texas Panhandle did not violate the constitutional right to free speech when the school's president canceled a drag show earlier this year. The ruling, handed down by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk on Thursday, stands out...

Judge overseeing case to remove Trump from ballot agrees to order banning threats and intimidation

Sep. 22, 2023 15:21 PM EDT

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado judge overseeing the first significant lawsuit to bar former President Donald Trump from the state's 2024 presidential ballot on Friday issued a protective order prohibiting threats and intimidation in the case, saying the safety of those involved — including herself...

Tennessee judges side with Nashville in fight over fairgrounds speedway

Sep. 22, 2023 12:23 PM EDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A newly enacted Tennessee law designed to lower the threshold needed for Nashville leaders to approve improvements to its fairgrounds speedway violates the state's constitution and cannot be enforced, a three-judge panel has ruled. Thursday's unanimous...

Kentucky Supreme Court reviews state's Republican-drawn legislative, congressional maps

Sep. 19, 2023 18:29 PM EDT

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Democrats took their legal fight to the state's highest court on Tuesday in challenging Republican-drawn boundaries for state House and congressional districts. The hearing before Kentucky's Supreme Court at times revolved around a lower court ruling...

Officer's bail revoked in shooting death of driver after prosecutors lodge constitutional challenge

Sep. 19, 2023 15:52 PM EDT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Philadelphia police officer charged in the shooting death of a driver last month is back in custody following the revocation of his bail after prosecutors challenged the constitutionality of his release. Officer Mark Dial was taken into custody in the...

Oregon judge to decide in new trial whether voter-approved gun control law is constitutional

Sep. 18, 2023 17:30 PM EDT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon judge is set to decide whether a gun control law approved by voters in November violates the state’s constitution in a trial that started Monday. The law, one of the toughest in the nation, was among the first gun restrictions to be passed after a...

A Georgia state senator indicted with Trump won't be suspended from office while the case is ongoing

Sep. 15, 2023 19:09 PM EDT

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia state senator won't be suspended from office after he was one of 18 others indicted along with former President Donald Trump on charges that he sought to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state. A three-person panel...

Mississippi should restore the voting rights of former felons, Democratic candidates say

Sep. 14, 2023 22:11 PM EDT

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi should stop defending a Jim Crow-era portion of its state constitution that permanently strips voting rights from people convicted of certain felonies, the Democratic nominees for two statewide offices said Thursday. Greta Kemp Martin faces...

Ohio attorney general rejects language for political mapmaking reform amendment for a second time

Sep. 14, 2023 18:54 PM EDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Attorney General’s Office again rejected petition language Thursday for a constitutional amendment aimed at remaking the state's troubled system for drawing political maps, frustrating the effort's backers. In his rejection letter, Republican Dave...

Judge blocks suspension of right to carry firearms in public, siding against New Mexico governor

Sep. 13, 2023 19:59 PM EDT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A federal judge has blocked part of a public health order that suspended the right to carry guns in public across New Mexico’s largest metro area, with criticism mounting and political divides widening over the Democratic governor’s action. The ruling...