A federal appeals court has upheld a decision requiring Amish school children to be vaccinated in New York. These are not Amish children who attend public schools. These are Amish children attending Amish-owned and operated schools. Religious objections do not work here, according to the Second Circuit court ruling. From Courthouse News: MANHATTAN (CN) — A New York State law requiring Amish students to receive…
I covered the recent Amos Miller case update in a video which has gotten close to 100,000 views at this point. A lot of comments on that video challenged the idea that anyone ever fell ill from Amos Miller’s products. Some seemed to suggest that there was no issue with Miller’s products whatsoever. That surprised me. But was that actually the case? So I take…
This past week brought news that a decades-long dispute over sewer grid connections in northwest Pennsylvania is ending – with a victory for the Amish. The US Department of Justice has intervened to prevent Sugar Grove Township from forcing Amish families to use electricity to connect to the local sewer grid. It’s being seen as a win for religious freedom. Via the Warren, PA Times-Observer:…
Amos Miller will be permitted to continue selling his raw milk products beyond Pennsylvania’s borders, according to a recent ruling. From Lancaster Online: A state appeals court ruling earlier this month affirmed farmer Amos Miller can continue selling his raw milk outside of Pennsylvania while a state agriculture department’s lawsuit against him proceeds. The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court agreed with Miller’s attorneys that he would face…
The Columbus Dispatch reports that Amish in Ohio are suing over a law requiring flashing lights on buggies: The Swartzentruber Amish are suing to overturn Ohio’s new traffic law that requires animal-drawn buggies to have yellow flashing lights, saying the law conflicts with the First Amendment protecting their religious expression. The Swartzentruber order, which enlisted legal help from Harvard University Law School’s Religious Freedom Clinic,…
No, you’re not reading an old post from 2020 or 2021. I’m surprised to be sharing another COVID-related story with you, as we’re nearly into 2025. But this is a current story – and a big problem for Amish in one Ontario community. The root of the problem? The Amish in question didn’t use an obligatory Canadian smartphone app when crossing the border. From The…
With the election nearly upon us, we have gotten our fair share of the expected “Will the Amish vote?” articles. I’ve been seeing this coverage for months now. I have contributed to some of it as well (for some reason, mostly for French-language publications). Among the latest is this piece from Deseret News, which suggests two things of interest that could motivate more Amish to vote…
That’s the question Lancaster County Judge Thomas Sponaugle asked in the ongoing legal saga between Amish dairy farmer Amos Miller and the state of Pennsylvania. “Why doesn’t Amos Miller just go get a permit … just like every other Amish farmer in the county and commonwealth does if they want to sell raw milk?” the judge asked. “Doesn’t he see in his heart that’s all…
The matter of Amos Miller, an Amish organic farmer in Lancaster County who has clashed with the government for years over the sale of raw milk products, is making headlines again. Miller’s troubles date to 2015, when the government alleged that a listeria illness which sickened two and killed one person had its source in milk from Miller’s farm. Miller in turn objected, claiming the…
Today’s guest post is by Joe Donnermeyer of the Journal of Plain Anabaptist Communities. It is on a topic that we have covered fairly extensively over the past several years – the buggy lighting issue, particularly as it has unfolded in Ohio. The state’s 2022 law requiring flashing lights on buggies predictably brought about conflict with members of the most conservative Amish communities. Joe shares…