RELIGION HEADLINES

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(SRN NEWS) – The Arkansas Supreme Court has upheld the state’s rejection of signature petitions in favor of putting an abortion initiative on the November ballot. The ruling dashes the hopes of abortion advocates to have voters decide the issue in the predominantly Republican state. Petition organizers had submitted more than 100,000 signatures. But election officials said the group didn’t comply because documentation for paid signature gatherers was submitted separately and not in a single bundle. The measure aimed to scale back the Arkansas abortion ban.

The Texas Department of Public Safety will no longer allow transgender residents to change the sex on their driver’s license to align with their gender identity. That’s according to an internal agency email that also asks staff to compile the names of people seeking a gender marker change. The Texas Tribune obtained a photo of the email, which said the change takes effect immediately. Previous rules allowed changes due to clerical errors, or if an amended birth certificate or an original certified court record was presented.

Competing abortion measures to expand or limit abortion will be on the November ballot in Nebraska after election officials confirmed each side has turned in enough signatures.  The move makes Nebraska the first state to carry competing abortion amendments on the same ballot since the Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade in 2022.  Measures to enshrine abortion have already qualified to go before voters this year in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada and South Dakota.

A federal judge has temporarily blocked New York’s attorney general from taking action against pro-life pregnancy centers for promoting a method of reversing medication abortions. The judge issued a preliminary injunction citing free speech rights. The order is part of a lawsuit against state Attorney General Letitia James. Two pregnancy counseling centers and a related association say James is targeting pro-life groups unfairly. In a separate suit, James’ office is suing nearly a dozen other pro-life pregnancy centers.