The Daily Signal - Supreme Court Will Hear Major Transgender Case, Trump’s Vow to Christians, Russia Threatens US | June 24

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Supreme Court will hear a major case related to transgender treatments on minors. I'm Virginia Allen, and this is the Daily Signal Top News for Monday, June 24. This morning, the Supreme Court announced that it will hear a case that's related to a ban on gender treatments for minors in Tennessee. In March of 2023, Tennessee passed a law that bans things like cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers and other similar treatments on minors. Well, a lawsuit ensued, and now the Supreme Court will hear arguments likely in October to decide if the Tennessee law is constitutional or not. Here with us to explain more is Heritage Foundation Senior Legal Fellow, Sarah Partial Perry. Sarah, thanks for being with us. Thanks for having me.

Starting point is 00:00:56 Sarah, if you would, just explain the legal arguments. And I'm especially curious to hear what is the legal argument that's coming from those that oppose this. law in Tennessee that protects minors from things like cross-sex hormones or puberty blockers? Why do they claim that this law is something that goes against the Constitution and needs to remain in place? Yeah. So this is, it's an interesting case, but it's actually one of three that are currently at the Supreme Court.

Starting point is 00:01:32 This is a challenge brought specifically by the Department of Justice against the state of Tennessee, for its particular ban, there is an opportunity for the federal government to weigh in with its own suit if it determines a matter is of significant public importance, which obviously it did here. The arguments against these bans are that basically they discriminate in violation of what's called the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, and that is the provision that guarantees all citizens' equal protection of the laws. However, that requires a proof. essentially, that the states acted with discriminatory intent, that they were seeking to single out transgender children and actually discriminate against them in terms of provision of these services.

Starting point is 00:02:22 That is not likely to fly with the Supreme Court. My sort of reading of the tea leaves on this is that this is a court that wants to make sure hot-button politically charged issues remain in the hands of elected. members, whether that's of the federal government legislature or state legislatures. They don't want the judiciary to be in a role to devise new rights, like, for example, the right to experimental medical treatment. That is obviously, as we know, Virginia, highly subject to debate, especially so after the CASC report that groundbreaking nine-year study on hormones and puberty blockers out of England showing exactly how devastating they are. They don't want to take those types

Starting point is 00:03:13 of politically charged issues out of the hands of the people who can debate them best, who can enact laws at the closest level to the people who elected them. And essentially, they want to make sure that the democratic process is protected. That was the case with the Dobbs decision. And I think that's likely to be the case here. Sarah, what are the other states in addition to Tennessee that have passed laws to ban these types of gender treatments on minors? So there are actually more than 20 states across the country. In fact, two of them right now, Tennessee and Kentucky's bans are pending at the Supreme Court. In a case called Doe v. Kentucky, that state's ban is being challenged. And in LW versus Scrametti, there is a private individual. challenge to Tennessee's laws. The only one that was taken up by the Supreme Court is simply

Starting point is 00:04:11 the Tennessee challenge by the Department of Justice. And that's limited solely to that question of discrimination based on gender identity. The other two cases also involve relative claims based on the parameters of the fundamental right. In other words, do children's parents have a right to access experimental, unstudied medical treatments as part of their understanding of the parental right under the 14th Amendment. Unfortunately, we're not likely to hear any kind of clarification on that because the only question before the court right now is whether or not the bans were discriminatory and violate the Equal Protection Clause. So then what would a ruling in this case mean for other states that have taken steps to ban gender treatments on minors?

Starting point is 00:05:07 It's actually a very good sign that this case was taken up with more than 20 states across the country already enacting these bans. I think the possibility for them is a very positive one. If the Supreme Court finds these laws are not discriminatory, that they are simply the state trying to do its best to protect the interests of very minor and vulnerable populations, then the other states across the country have their constitutional import also essentially secured by that outcome. Okay. Well, like I said, the justices will hear arguments. We'll hear a little bit about those arguments in the fall. And then we will get a ruling before the end of June 2025. This is a major case that is going to affect many Americans, Sarah Partial Perry, with the

Starting point is 00:05:56 Heritage Foundation. We really appreciate your time, Sarah. Thanks for having me. Today marks two years since Roe v. Wade was overturned. On June 24th, 2022, the Supreme Court ruled on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization and declared that there is no right to abortion within the Constitution. Today, pro-abortion activists use that two-year anniversary of Roe being overturned to announce a $100 million campaign aimed at bringing something like Roe back. Politico reported exclusively this morning that Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, Reproductive Freedom for All, and other pro-abortion groups have formed a group called Abortion Access Now. Abortion Access Now is a national 10-year campaign that plans to craft pro-abortion policy that will be ready to be implemented if and when Democrats win again control of the House, Senate, and executive branch. President and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All Mini Timuraju told Politico, we're not going to let the anti-abortion extremists define this moment. We're coming for them and we're going to make sure that they become increasingly irrelevant.

Starting point is 00:07:13 Politico reports that the group is holding a private event in Washington, D.C. tonight, where they plan to pitch a group of influential progressives on going on offense on the abortion issue. If elected again, former President Donald Trump says he plans to establish a task force to investigate anti-Christian bias. Trump spoke Saturday at the Faith and Freedom Coalition's 15th annual Road to Majority Conference here in Washington, D.C. And during his speech, Trump referred to the federal arrests of pro-life activists and pledge that he would take action. I will also create a new federal task force on fighting anti-Christian bias. Its mission will be to investigate all forms of illegal discrimination, harassment, persecution against Christians in America. And it's taking place at a level that nobody can believe.

Starting point is 00:08:06 We're like a country from a different country. We're like, this is not America anymore that we're living in. These people are nasty. They're bad. They're bad. Trump went on to say, never again will the federal government be used to target religious believers. Trump specifically talked about a pro-life woman named Paulette Harlow. We've covered her story here on the show, but you may remember she's a 75-year-old woman

Starting point is 00:08:33 who is sentenced recently to 24 months in prison for singing in front of an abortion clinic after she was convicted of violating the freedom of access to clinic entrances act, also referred to as the Face Act. She has serious health problems, and her husband says that he's afraid that his wife is going to die in prison. Trump spoke directly to Harlow during his talk, telling her to hold on. For more on Trump's speech, you can find Fred Lucas's full piece on that speech in today's show notes. Today, the Justice Department's Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Kristen Clark, was hit with three ethics complaints and a criminal referral.

Starting point is 00:09:17 This comes just weeks after the Daily Signals Mary Margaret O'Lahan broke the news that Clark lied about her arrest record during her Senate confirmation hearing. During that Senate hearing, she was asked if she had ever been arrested, and she said no, but records indicate that she was arrested during a domestic violence incident. Now, a group called Article III Project is filing both the ethics complaints and criminal referral, which calls upon Attorney General Merrick Garland to open a cronal probe into Clark on the grounds that she knowingly and willfully made material false statements and that she committed perjury. We'll keep you all posted on this story as it continues to unfold.

Starting point is 00:10:03 Russia is threatening the United States after Ukraine carried out strikes on Russian-occupied Crimea. Russia says the rockets that were used in the attack were U.S. made. Politico reports that the attack left four dead and another 151 injured after Russia says that they, intercepted four of the missiles, but a fifth missile detonated in mid-air after Russia struck it with air defenses, which resulted in the injuries and the deaths. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov said, of course, the involvement of the United States, of America in hostilities, direct involvement in hostilities that result in the death of Russian civilians. This, of course, cannot but have consequences. What exactly? Time will tell, he added. The U.S. has supported. The U.S. has

Starting point is 00:10:51 applied Ukraine with long-distance missiles. The White House has also given Ukraine the green light to use donated weaponry to hit targets in Russia and territory that has been claimed by Moscow, according to Politico. With that, that's going to do it for today's episode. Thanks for being with us here for the Daily Signal's top news. If you have not had the chance, make sure to check out our morning shows. Tomorrow morning, the Daily Signal's Rob Bluey is sitting down with Jeff Myers of Summit Ministries. to make sure to catch that conversation Tuesday morning. And don't forget to hit that subscribe button so you never miss out on any of the shows from The Daily Signal.

Starting point is 00:11:28 And if you would, take a minute to leave us a five-star rating and review. Thanks again for being with us this Monday. Have a great rest of your day. We'll see you right back here tomorrow morning. The Daily Signal podcast is made possible because of listeners like you. Executive producers are Rob Bluey and Kate Trinko. Hosts are Virginia Allen, Brian Gottstein, Mary Margaret O'Lehan, and Tyler O'Neill. Sound design by Lauren Evans, Mark Geiney, and John Pop.

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The Daily Signal - Supreme Court Will Hear Major Transgender Case, Trump’s Vow to Christians, Russia Threatens US | June 24

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