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PJI Joins Defense of Christian Company Owner in Bible Study Case

11/19/2018

Salem, OR--The Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) has joined in the defense of a Christian construction company’s owner in a case that has generated national attention.

Joel Dahl is the owner and sole officer of Dahled Up Construction, a corporation headquartered in Albany, Oregon. A former prison inmate who turned his life around after embracing Christianity, Dahl operates his company in accordance with Christian principles—his company’s logo, in fact, even has a cross where the second “t” in “construction” would be. Many of the people he employs are former inmates like him whose job prospects are limited due to their criminal histories.

California Professor Vindicated After Termination for “Dangerous” Conservative Views

11/8/2018

Riverside, CA--After days of intense arbitration, the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) secured a legal victory this past month for a sociology professor fired for his discussions of conservative world-views in his college classroom. PJI represented Professor Eric Thompson and battled in depositions, administrative hearings, and a multi-day arbitration conducted like a trial. The arbitrator, who found many of Moreno Valley College’s claims against the tenured professor were unfounded, ruled in Thompson’s favor.

Thompson, who had taught at Moreno Valley College since 2005 and twice been named “Faculty of the Year,” encouraged discussions in his sociology courses regarding topics like marriage, gender roles, and sexual orientation. He introduced conservative views to his students to challenge them to defend their assumptions and positions. He also circulated the film Understanding Same-Sex Attraction which suggests homosexual feelings may be due to environmental factors rather than genetically pre-determined.

PJI Has Property Tax Declared Unconstitutional As Applied to Church

10/22/2018

San Rafael, CA--In a case that could benefit churches statewide, the Pacific Justice Institute convinced the Marin County Superior Court to declare a voter-approved local property tax unconstitutional as applied to a local church.

On October 9, PJI attorney Ray Hacke represented Valley Baptist Church of San Rafael in a civil trial against the City of San Rafael. The trial concerned the City’s Paramedic Services Special Tax, which was enacted by a two-thirds vote of the City’s voters in 2010 and empowers the City to annually tax non-residential structures at a rate of up to 14 cents per square foot. At issue were two questions of law: one, whether the Paramedic Tax is a property tax, as opposed to an excise tax; and two, if the Tax is in fact a property tax, whether its status as a voter-approved “special tax” allows the City to skirt the California Constitution’s provision exempting buildings that are used exclusively for religious worship from taxation.

LGBT History Memo

10/1/2018

LGBT History Memo October 2018.pdf
File Size:	2886 kb
File Type:	pdf

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Texas Preacher Defeats Criminal Charges for Easter Sermon

9/28/2018

San Antonio, TX--A public evangelist criminally charged for preaching to the crowds of downtown San Antonio received news from the court that his charges were dismissed this week, after Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) filed a trial brief in his defense.

Jeffrey Warner frequently travels to spread the gospel on public sidewalks, carefully aligning himself to local city ordinances before he preaches. During the Easter weekend of 2018, Warner used his sound amplifier to speak in a conversational manner to people passing by in a business district, complying with San Antonio’s decibel level restrictions.

BREAKING: Anti-Counseling Bill Shelved

8/31/2018

Sacramento, CA--In a surprising move, a California legislator announced that he is dropping his efforts to have certain types of LGBT-related counseling declared “fraudulent” and “deceptive.”

Assembly Member Evan Low released a statement on his website to announce that, after meeting with numerous religious leaders who were concerned about the bill, he will re-work the legislation for a future legislative session. Today is the last day of the year for the Legislature to give final approval to bills and send them to Gov. Jerry Brown.

Charter School Faces Suit for Religious Discrimination

8/16/2018

Riverside, CA--A new lawsuit has been filed in Riverside Superior Court on behalf of a piano teacher who was rejected by a charter school for religious reasons.

Dimitra Solomos has been teaching children piano for more than 25 years in Orange and Riverside Counties. In 2016, when a teacher and families enrolled through Sky Mountain Charter School asked her to become an approved vendor of the school, she completed a background check, got a business license and complied with the other application requirements. Becoming a vendor would allow families to use extracurricular funds to pay for her piano lessons, which some families had been doing out-of-pocket because they felt she was an excellent teacher.

As Legislature Returns, Will It Defy Supreme Court?

8/7/2018

Sacramento, CA--The California Legislature returned to the Capitol Monday for the final few weeks of its annual session. One of the big questions remaining is whether lawmakers will ignore a stinging rebuke from the U.S. Supreme Court.

At issue is a bill now pending on the floor of the Senate known as Assembly Bill 2943. It seeks to declare that counseling which assists adults in rejecting same-sex attraction is a fraudulent and deceptive practice. Faith communities have been alarmed by the bill because it could limit how they counsel congregants to live consistently with their faith and church teachings on sexuality.

Profile of SCOTUS Nominee Brett Kavanaugh

7/31/2018

Pacific Justice Institue released the following profile on SCOTUS Nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

SCOTUS Nominee Brett Kavanaugh Profile.pdf
File Size:	188 kb
File Type:	pdf

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BREAKING: Religious Liberty Advocates React to Supreme Court Pick

7/9/2018

Washington, DC--President Trump on Monday night made his highly-anticipated announcement of his choice to fill the seat of retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy.

President Trump has selected Judge Brett Kavanaugh of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The announcement is sure to ignite a firestorm in an already hotly-contested confirmation process, since Kavanaugh worked for Ken Starr on Bill Clinton’s impeachment and later worked closely with President George W. Bush.

<<Previous

PJI Joins Defense of Christian Company Owner in Bible Study Case

California Professor Vindicated After Termination for “Dangerous” Conservative Views

PJI Has Property Tax Declared Unconstitutional As Applied to Church

LGBT History Memo

Texas Preacher Defeats Criminal Charges for Easter Sermon

BREAKING: Anti-Counseling Bill Shelved

Charter School Faces Suit for Religious Discrimination

As Legislature Returns, Will It Defy Supreme Court?

Profile of SCOTUS Nominee Brett Kavanaugh

BREAKING: Religious Liberty Advocates React to Supreme Court Pick

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