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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 26 July 2024
Days before a Biden rule against anti-LGBTQ+ bias takes effect,

judges are narrowing its reach

By JOHN HANNA apply to athletics.
Associated Press “Yet again a federal court
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — New has stopped the Biden-Harris
federal court rulings are administration from going
narrowing the Biden admin- around Congress to imple-
istration’s enforcement of a ment a ridiculous, nonsensi-
rule for protecting LGBTQ+ cal, and illegal election-year
students from discrimina- move,” Arkansas Attorney
tion and allowing critics to General Tim Griffith said in
limit it even further school by a statement. “And it comes
school. just in time before the start of
A federal judge in Missouri the new school year.”
blocked enforcement of the Moms for Liberty had told
rule in six additional states, Broomes in a court filing ear-
bringing the total to 21. The lier this month that its mem-
decision Wednesday from bers have students in tens of
Senior U.S. District Judge thousands of schools across
Rodney Sipple, an appoin- the U.S., many in Democrat-
tee of President Bill Clinton, ic-led states supporting the
applies in Arkansas, Iowa, rule. Also, judges in Alabama
Missouri, Nebraska, North and Oklahoma have yet to
Dakota and South Dakota. rule in lawsuits filed by those
It comes just a week before states and Florida, Georgia
the rule is to take effect. Demonstrators advocating for transgender rights and healthcare stand outside of the Ohio and South Carolina.
Sipple’s ruling followed one Statehouse, Jan. 24, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. The three groups involved
last week by U.S. District Associated Press in the Kansas lawsuit al-
Judge John Broomes in Kan- opposing the rule. Broomes, who joined the group after ing their privacy and safety ready have submitted lists
sas, who blocked enforce- an appointee of President his initial July 2 order. in bathrooms and locker of about 1,100 schools and
ment in that state, Alaska, Donald Trump, gave one Republican officials seek- rooms. colleges in the U.S. affected
Utah and Wyoming but also group, Moms for Liberty, ing to roll back transgender They’ve also argued the rule by Broomes’ order. An AP

in individual schools and col- an extra week until Friday rights hailed Sipple’s ruling is a ruse to allow transgen- analysis shows that 69% are
leges across the U.S. with to submit its list of affected as a victory for cisgendered der females to play on girls’ outside the 21 states where
students or parents who are schools and said it could girls and women, having and women’s sports teams, enforcement already is
members of three groups include ones for members framed the issue as protect- but Sipple said it would not blocked. q

Massachusetts governor signs bill cracking down on hard-to-trace

‘ghost guns’

By STEVE LeBLANC health care professionals people at schools, polling of our strong gun laws, District attorneys would be
Associated Press and others who interact locations and government but there is always more able to prosecute people
BOSTON (AP) — Massachu- regularly with people in buildings and imposes strict work to be done to keep who shoot at or near resi-
setts Gov. Maura Healey crisis to petition a court to penalties for the possession our communities safe from dential homes under the
signed a sweeping gun suspend a person’s right of modification devices, violence. This legislation up- legislation, which would
bill Thursday that support- to possess or carry a gun such as Glock switches, dates our firearms laws in also ensure that dangerous
ers say builds on the state’s to protect themselves and which supporters of the law response to the Supreme people subject to harass-
existing gun laws, including others. say convert an otherwise Court’s misguided Bruen ment prevention orders no
a crackdown on hard to The law also prohibits the legal firearm into a fully au- decision,” said Healey, a longer have access to fire-
trace “ghost guns,” while possession of firearms by tomatic firearm. Democrat. arms.
safeguarding the rights of non-law-enforcement “Massachusetts is proud “It cracks down on ghost Gun rights advocates had
gun owners. guns and 3D printed weap- criticized the Massachu-
The law is part of an effort ons, which I have long ad- setts Senate, which ap-
by the state to respond to vocated for, enhances proved their version of the
a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court our ability to prevent guns bill in February, for failing
ruling that citizens have from falling into dangerous to hold a separate pub-
a right to carry firearms in hands, and invests in our lic hearing given the dif-
public for self-defense. communities to address the ferences between their
On ghost guns, the law root causes of violence,” bill and the House bill ap-
toughens oversight for she said. proved last year.
those who own privately The law also requires those The new law also expands
made, unserialized firearms applying for a license to the definition of “assault
that are largely untrace- carry firearms to demon- weapons” to include
able. In 2022, the U.S. De- strate a basic understand- known assault weapons
partment of Justice report- ing of safety principles and other weapons that
ed recovering 25,785 ghost through a standardized function like them with re-
guns in domestic seizures. exam and live fire training, spect to certain features.
The law expands the state’s A 9mm “ghost gun” pistol build kit with a commercial slide and and provides local licens- It also prohibits possession,
extreme risk protective or- barrel with a polymer frame is displayed in the Rose Garden of ing authorities with relevant transfer or sale of “assault-
der law also known as the the White House, April 11, 2022, in Washington. mental health information style” firearms or large-ca-
red flag law by authorizing Associated Press of pending applicants. pacity feeding devices.q