Lawsuit
Lawsuit
Posted on May 2, 2023
ACLU sues Montana over censure of trans lawmaker Zooey Zephyr
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The American Civil Liberties Union of Montana filed a lawsuit in state court on Monday challenging the censure of Rep. Zooey Zephyr, a Democrat and Montana’s first transgender state legislator.
The lawsuit alleges the actions taken by Montana’s Republican-led House of Representatives to silence Zephyr are a violation of her First Amendment rights.
“By depriving Representative Zephyr of her right to freely engage with the legislative process, Defendants have also deprived her 11,000 constituents of the right to full representation in their government,” the lawsuit states. “Defendants’ lawless silencing and Censure of Representative Zooey Zephyr extinguishes a vital part of the job her constituents elected her to do.”
The suit lists the state of Montana; Rep. Matt Regier, speaker of the Montana House; and Bradley Murfitt, sergeant-at-arms of the Montana House, as defendants.
The lawsuit alleges the actions taken by Montana’s Republican-led House of Representatives to silence Zephyr are a violation of her First Amendment rights.
“By depriving Representative Zephyr of her right to freely engage with the legislative process, Defendants have also deprived her 11,000 constituents of the right to full representation in their government,” the lawsuit states. “Defendants’ lawless silencing and Censure of Representative Zooey Zephyr extinguishes a vital part of the job her constituents elected her to do.”
The suit lists the state of Montana; Rep. Matt Regier, speaker of the Montana House; and Bradley Murfitt, sergeant-at-arms of the Montana House, as defendants.
ACLU sues Montana over censure of trans lawmaker Zooey Zephyr
Posted from nbcnews.com
Transgender
Lawsuit
State of Montana
Freedom of Speech
1st Amendment
Posted 12 mo ago
Responses: 2
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel good day Brother William, always informational and of the most interesting. Thanks for sharing, have a blessed day!
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."“I feel alienated and disenfranchised to have my representative expelled from debate,” Dean Chou, one of the plaintiffs, said in a statement. “I believe Representative Zephyr has done an effective job advocating for my interests and my rights on all issues, and I want Representative Zephyr to continue to do so.”
Since Zephyr’s censure, four bills awaiting votes in the committees on which Zephyr sits were either transferred to a different committee or elevated to the House floor, effectively eliminating all public committee hearings in which she was scheduled to participate, according to the ACLU.
The ACLU and its Montana chapter have also announced a promise to challenge the recently passed gender-affirming care law."
..."“I feel alienated and disenfranchised to have my representative expelled from debate,” Dean Chou, one of the plaintiffs, said in a statement. “I believe Representative Zephyr has done an effective job advocating for my interests and my rights on all issues, and I want Representative Zephyr to continue to do so.”
Since Zephyr’s censure, four bills awaiting votes in the committees on which Zephyr sits were either transferred to a different committee or elevated to the House floor, effectively eliminating all public committee hearings in which she was scheduled to participate, according to the ACLU.
The ACLU and its Montana chapter have also announced a promise to challenge the recently passed gender-affirming care law."
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