The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in United States v. Hemani represents far more than a victory for one citizen’s Second Amendment rights. It serves as an important reminder of the judiciary’s proper constitutional role: to say what the law is—not what judges might prefer it to say. At issue was whether the federal government’s prosecution Ali Hemani under 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(3), a statute prohibiting possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance.

A Christian college student is receiving legal support from First Liberty Institute after allegedly losing her part-time job following conversations about her religious beliefs. Paige, who worked at a local coffee shop while pursuing her education, says she was questioned by coworkers after they learned she attended a Christian college. According to reports, Paige answered questions about her faith honestly and respectfully. Just days later, she received a text message from m

Words matter. They reveal truth, preserve meaning, and communicate reality. When government deliberately alters language, it often does more than change vocabulary; it seeks to reshape how citizens understand the world. New York’s recent legislation replacing the terms “mother” and “father” with “gestating parent” and “non-gestating parent” reflects precisely such an effort. While advocates portray the change as inclusive, it ultimately undermines fundamental truths about hum

The Wagner Center joined a coalition of 44 other amici in a U.S. Supreme Court brief defending the right to host a home prayer group. Professor Wagner thanked Advancing American Freedom for writing the brief in Grand v. University Heights. In this case, Daniel Grand, an Orthodox Jew, challenges University Heights, Ohio’s use of its zoning laws to prevent him from hosting a prayer group in his own home. As an Orthodox Jew, Mr. Grand’s religious practice requires prayer with a

WFFC Distinguished Chair for Faith and Freedom at Spring Arbor University, William Wagner, submitted official public comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) concerning the agency’s proposed rule addressing “Medical Aid in Dying” (MAID) within the context of federally funded hospice care. The comments were submitted in response to CMS-1851-P; RIN 0938-AV78, published at 91 Fed. Reg. 17338. The submission urges CMS and the Department of Health and Human S

By the Hon. William Wagner (Ret) My fellow Americans, honored veterans, Gold Star families, members of our armed forces, and cherished friends: Today, I speak having recently had the profound privilege of spending a fair amount of time at Arlington National Cemetery, sacred ground not in just place, but in purpose. There, among endless rows of white headstones, one cannot help but feel the weight of freedom’s cost. Arlington silently teaches what words alone can never fully

This week in Lansing, the Hon. William Wagner (Ret.), Distinguished Professor of Law Emeritus, delivered a keynote address before the Religious Liberty Section of the State Bar of Michigan addressing the growing movement to legalize physician-assisted suicide in Michigan and the profound constitutional, moral, and cultural implications surrounding the issue. Speaking from both a constitutional and biblical worldview perspective, Wagner warned that the recently proposed Michig

The horrific attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego is a criminal tragedy. It assaulted innocent human life, religious liberty, and the constitutional order that protects peaceful coexistence in the United States. The murder of worshippers gathered at a mosque, following violent attacks against Jewish, Catholic, Mormon, and Protestant congregations over the past year, demands moral clarity from every American committed to ordered liberty and the Rule of Law. No political g

A Constitutional and Worldview Analysis By Hon. William Wagner (Ret.) Distinguished Professor of Law Emeritus Michigan now stands at a profound moral and constitutional crossroads. Recently introduced legislation in Lansing, (House Bills 5825, 5826, 5827, and 5828), would legalize physician-assisted suicide under what proponents describe as a “Death With Dignity Act.” A more accurate description would simply call it the “Death Act.” While supporters frame the proposal as comp

Before More Women Are Harmed This week, the Wagner Center joined Advancing American Freedom (AAF) and other pro-life leaders in filing two amicus briefs before the United States Supreme Court in Louisiana v. FDA—a case that strikes at the heart of both constitutional government and the protection of vulnerable women. At issue is the FDA’s reckless 2021 decision to allow the abortion drug mifepristone to be prescribed and distributed without an in-person physician visit. In pr

The passage of Québec’s Bill C-9 presents far more than a provincial policy disagreement over secularism. It reflects a deeper constitutional and moral crisis increasingly visible throughout the modern West: the gradual transformation of the state from a protector of fundamental liberties into an arbiter of permissible belief and public conscience. When government claims authority not merely to regulate conduct, but to suppress the public manifestation of religious conviction

The Wagner Faith & Freedom Center recently hosted a trip to Washington, D.C. that included daily lectures by the Hon. William Wagner, WFFC Distinguished Chair for Faith & Freedom, and a special presentations by the Under Secretary of State and a Member of Congress. Here is a day by day summary of our learning adventure including titles of the daily lectures and presentations. Day 1 Many of the national monuments reflect biblical principles and Christian faith. World War II M

In a unanimous decision, the United States Supreme Court again affirmed that government must never wield its power to chill the exercise of fundamental freedoms. In First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Platkin, the Court permitted a faith-based ministry to challenge a state subpoena demanding disclosure of its donors, an act that threatened to silence both speech and conscience. This case raises fundamental moral and constitutional questions about the nature of freedom it

The DOJ, the FACE Act, and the Future of Equal Justice under Law A newly released Department of Justice report examining enforcement of the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act between 2021 and 2024 raises a question that should concern every American committed to constitutional governance. Did the Department of Justice depart from its calling to administer justice without fear or favor, or did it drift toward the selective exercise of governmental powe

This week, the Wagner Center joined Advancing American Freedom (AAF) and like-minded advocates in filing an amicus curiae brief in Missouri v. FDA —a case that presents profound questions about the rule of law, the proper limits of federal authority, and the government’s obligation to protect innocent human life. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal government used the crisis as a pretext to relax longstanding safety protocols governing mifepristone, a chemical a

Jonathan Turley’s recent critique of Colorado’s latest legislative efforts offers a sobering reminder that the First Amendment remains under persistent pressure, not from foreign adversaries, but too often from state actors. His analysis underscores a troubling pattern. State regimes, convinced of the ideological certainty of their policy aims, too often attempt to regulate speech in ways that the Constitution plainly forbids. At issue is Colorado’s continued effort to impos

A Biblical and Constitutional Analysis of the 50CAN Survey By Hon. William Wagner (Ret.) WFFC Distinguished Chair for Faith and Freedom EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The State of Educational Opportunity in America (2nd Edition) survey reveals a nation in tension. Parents increasingly desire educational choice, flexibility, and greater control over their children’s formation. Yet barriers to access, declining parental engagement, and systemic limitations persist. At its core, the report

The American constitutional order now stands at a familiar crossroads. From time to time, public discourse exposes the fault lines that run beneath our jurisprudence, revealing not merely legal disagreement, but a deeper conflict over truth itself. Recent remarks by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives have again drawn those lines into sharp focus. His observation that Americans have misunderstood the so-called “separation of church and state” did not introduce a

The U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in Olivier v. City of Brandon marks an important clarification of the relationship between criminal convictions and civil rights litigation under 42 U.S.C. §1983. The Court held that a prior conviction does not categorically bar a plaintiff from seeking forward-looking relief, such as an injunction, challenging the constitutionality of the law used against him. At issue was a street preacher convicted under a municipal ordinance reg

Keynote Address of the Hon. William Wagner Presented to Right to Life Michigan March 18, 2026 We are in the midst of a defining moment in our nation's history. This is not merely a healthcare policy dispute. It is not merely a disagreement about education. It is not merely a clash between political parties. It is a battle over truth itself. It is a battle over whether marriage means what God ordained it to mean. Whether procreation remains a sacred gift rather than a matter