NEWS | Legal Voice

Dec 5, 2017

Not Just Cakes: SCOTUS Hears Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission

You've likely heard a lot about cake today. That's because the U.S. Supreme Court heard a case this morning involving a same-sex couple and a Christian baker who refused to sell them a wedding cake. In short, the baker asserts that his refusal to make the couple's cake is protected by his rights to freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Or, even shorter: that his religious freedom translates into the right to discriminate. Because, truly, this is what discrimination looks

Oct 23, 2017

Take Action: Urge HHS to Remove Language Defining Life as "Beginning at Conception"

You likely heard that the Trump Administration recently launched an attack on birth control under the guise of religious liberty. But you may have missed another, less publicized threat to reproductive health care. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a draft of its Strategic Plan for the next five years. Through this Plan, the Department aims to reframe its mission by defining life as "beginning at conception" and explicitly prioritizing the religious a

Oct 11, 2017

Who's Making Your Reproductive Decisions?

Last week, the Trump Administration made it easier for your employer to make reproductive decisions for you. The Administration expanded the exemption to the Affordable Care Act's birth control mandate so that an even broader range of employers can stop offering contraceptive coverage in their health insurance plans if they have religious - or the more general "moral" - objections to birth control. This latest attack on our health care rights is devastating and totally unscie

Jun 7, 2017

Legal Voice Intern Creates Website Mapping Abortion Clinics Nationwide

The Legal Voice staff have been so lucky to have Maddy Rasmussen with us during her junior and senior years as she worked diligently to create The Safe Place Project, a website mapping abortion clinics across the United States. "I’ve always had an interest in women’s rights, but it wasn’t until I started this internship that I realized how difficult it can be for women to receive abortion care,” said Maddy. “I wanted to ease that burden by creating a simple, easy-to-use websi

Jun 5, 2017

Celebrate PRIDE at These Great Northwest Events!

Happy Pride Month! We have so much to celebrate: pride in our identities, pride in our community, and pride in all that we've accomplished together. Here is a sampling of the great events happening in the Northwest: Volunteer Park Pride Festival Saturday, June 10, 12-7pm Seattle, WA Seattle Pride March Sunday, June 11, 11am - 4pm Seattle, WA OutSpokane Festival Saturday, June 10, from noon-10pm Spokane, WA Big Sky Pride Fest Saturday, June 17, 1-6pm Billings, MT Boise Pridef

May 4, 2017

Trump backed down. We never will.

Yesterday we told you of our plans to challenge President Trump's Executive Order if it sanctioned discrimination against women, LGBTQ people, and religious minorities. And we weren't the only ones with plans to do so. We were part of a broad and powerful opposition that was ready to fight - and that was too much of a threat. This morning, Trump signed a "religious freedom" order that takes a significant step back from the version that leaked in February. However, though the

May 3, 2017

We're preparing to sue the Trump Administration.

This is big. President Donald Trump is expected to sign a sweeping Executive Order tomorrow that would allow people and organizations claiming religious objections to discriminate against women, LGBTQ people, and religious minorities. And if it looks like what we expect, we're going to fight it. That's right. We're gearing up to sue the Trump Administration. Legal Voice has long been a leader in demanding equality in health care, employment, and public accommodations, and in

May 1, 2017

In the News: Self-Induced Abortion Legal Team

You can see it happening: abortion being increasingly stigmatized, made unaffordable, and pushed out of reach. Many women are left without adequate options. And what's worse, they're being wrongfully prosecuted for using one of the few options they have left: self-administering a medication abortion. At least 17 people have been arrested or prosecuted for allegedly inducing their own abortions, and there are countless others who have faced prison time for their birth outcomes

Jun 27, 2016

U.S. Supreme Court Shuts Down Texas "Shutdown" Law

This morning, the United States Supreme Court overturned Texas' HB2, a sweeping anti-abortion bill passed by the Texas Legislature in 2013. This means Texas abortion clinics will remain open and can continue to provide safe and legal abortion care! This case, Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, was part of a disturbing trend in state legislatures across the country: passing restrictive abortion laws masquerading as measures to protect women's health. But the justices in the

Mar 8, 2016

A Decade-Long Fight: Legal Voice Asks SCOTUS to Decline Review in Stormans Case

When certain U.S. Senators first started murmuring about refusing to vote for any nominee that President Obama nominated to fill the late Justice Scalia's Supreme Court seat, the public responded with a rallying cry: do your job. We agree wholeheartedly. But this "do your job" sentiment isn't new to us. Back in 2007, Washington's pharmacy rules that ensure patients have timely access to medication went into effect. Shortly thereafter, Stormans Inc. and two pharmacists sued th

Feb 17, 2016

Legal Voice Joins Allies in Urging SCOTUS to Uphold the ACA's Birth Control Mandate

Today, Legal Voice joined the National Women’s Law Center and 67 other organizations in filing a “friend of the court” brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in the latest round of cases attacking the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive coverage mandate. Seven different challenges from objecting employers have been consolidated into one case, Zubik v. Burwell. The consolidated cases challenge the Affordable Care Act’s provisions requiring that insurance plans cover contraceptives wi

Jan 4, 2016

Undo the Burden

This spring, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear its first abortion case in a decade. In Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt (formerly Whole Woman's Health v. Cole), the Court will decide whether Texas' latest abortion restrictions are an "undue burden" on the constitutional right to have an abortion. If upheld, Texas' restrictions will result in the closure of almost every abortion clinic in the state. Legal Voice has submitted an amicus brief—joined by 32 of the nation’s leadi

Nov 10, 2015

Prohibiting Discrimination in Health Care Coverage with the ACA

Everyone’s heard about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and how it has improved access to equitable health care. But did you know that the same law also contains a powerful tool to combat discrimination? Section 1557 of the ACA prohibits discrimination in health care coverage and care based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in a range of health programs. The federal Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has requested comments on its proposed new fede

Oct 16, 2015

Working Nationally to End Sex Discrimination in Housing

Legal Voice has long fought to end sex discrimination in housing in the Northwest. We've represented women who were sexually assaulted or harassed by their landlords. We've drafted and helped pass laws to ban housing discrimination against domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking survivors. And we've strongly supported efforts to ensure that housing discrimination against transgender and gender nonconforming people is recognized as a form of sex discrimination prohibit

Jul 14, 2015

Advocating for Fairer Blood Donation Policies

Today, Legal Voice—in coalition with our allies at Gender Justice and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR)—submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the agency’s proposed Revised Recommendations for industry guidance regarding blood and blood product donation policies. Our comments focus on discrimination that many transgender people experience when attempting to donate blood or plasma. Legal Voice and Gender Justice are currently representing a

Jun 26, 2015

SCOTUS Brings Marriage Equality Nationwide with Monumental Decision

It has finally happened! Today, the United States Supreme Court brought marriage equality to all 50 states with a 5-4 vote. This is a remarkable victory for the LGBT community nationwide. Today's decision affirms what we've known all along: it is unconstitutional to deny the freedom to marry to same-sex couples. Together, we've worked toward this moment for a long time—going back to 2004, when we filed a lawsuit challenging Washington's ban on marriage for same-sex couples. W

Jun 25, 2015

Upholding Health Care Access and the Affordable Care Act: King v. Burwell

Health care matters. But for most women and families, access to quality, affordable health care is dependent on access to health care insurance. So we are thrilled with this morning's 6-3 U.S. Supreme Court decision in King v. Burwell that upholds the availability of tax credits and subsidies in all health care exchanges established under the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA), regardless of whether they were established by the state or federal government. This financial assis

Mar 7, 2015

The Alliance Files an Amicus Brief in Supreme Court Marriage Equality Cases

We have exciting news! This morning The Alliance filed an amicus curiae brief in the United States Supreme Court in the marriage equality cases. As legal organizations based in a variety of states - all working toward social, economic, and legal equality for women and LGBT people - we have seen first-hand how the path toward the freedom to marry has differed drastically depending on where couples live. Our brief was written by cooperating counsel Katie O'Sullivan, David Perez

Dec 9, 2014

Amicus Brief: Challenging Enhanced Criminal Penalties for Pregnant Women

Today, Legal Voice joined National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW) and 98 other reproductive justice, drug policy reform, women’s rights, and civil liberties organizations in filing an amicus brief in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of Lacy Weld. Ms. Weld pled guilty to the crime of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, but was given an enhanced sentence of an additional six years in federal prison because she was pregnant at the time she committed the

Dec 5, 2014

Legal Voice Signs Letter to President Obama Encouraging a Clean Budget

Today, Legal Voice joined the National Abortion Federation, the Center for American Progress, and 84 other pro-choice organizations in signing a letter to President Obama urging him to remove restrictions on abortion services and coverage in his budget for the 2016 fiscal year. The letter specifically requests that the budget not include the Hyde Amendment, a rider law that has been included in every annual budget since its inception in 1976. The Hyde Amendment prohibits abor