Welcome to the Napa Legal Podcast, where we discuss religious liberty from the perspective of faith-based nonprofits.

In this week's episode, Frank DeVito and Kyle Nazareth discuss Senator Josh Hawley's new Declaration for Life and his bill to ban the abortion pill mifepristone; a lawsuit by Catholic journalist Margot Cleveland accusing the city of Dearborn, Michigan, of favoring Islam over Christianity and Judaism; and oral arguments before the Indiana Supreme Court in Hoosier Jews for Choice, a case claiming that abortion is a protected religious exercise.

In this episode, we discuss:

[1:26] Senator Hawley's Declaration for Life, unveiled at the inaugural Missouri Prayer Breakfast, and his Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act, which would ban the sale and shipment of mifepristone. Frank explains why the bill focuses on harm to women rather than harm to the unborn child.

[10:45] Cleveland v. City of Dearborn, in which a Dearborn resident alleges the city spent public funds on Ramadan banners and displays while ignoring her requests for comparable recognition of Christmas, Easter, and the Jewish High Holy Days. Kyle walks through the complaint's free speech retaliation and Establishment Clause claims.

[24:06] Hoosier Jews for Choice v. Indiana, in which Jewish, Muslim, and other plaintiffs argue that Indiana's abortion law violates their rights under the state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Frank explains why the Indiana Supreme Court may decide the case on standing, and why neither the original meaning of "religion" nor strict scrutiny supports a religious right to end an unborn life.

The Napa Legal Podcast, September 29, 2026

#religiousliberty #freedomofreligion #prolife

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