Blake Feldman
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3lake.bsky.social
Blake Feldman
@3lake.bsky.social
240 followers 480 following 52 posts
senior policy counsel at Southern Center for Human Rights • was at MCJ, SPLC, ACLU of MS • here in my personal capacity • he/him
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3lake.bsky.social
in @ccrjustice.org’s case challenging SB 185—the new GA law prohibiting the use of state resources to provide ppl incarcerated in GA prisons w/ medical treatment for gender dysphoria—Judge Calvert grants Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction & orders GDC to stop implementing SB 185. #gapol
Case 1:25-cv-04470-VMC Document 50 Filed 09/04/25 Page 1 of 64 PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION ORDER AND OPINION This case raises a constitutional challenge to a Georgia law that prohibits the use of state resources to provide hormone replacement therapies for the treatment of gender dysphoria to those who are incarcerated in Georgia Department of Corrections ("GDC") facilities. The Court held a hearing on Plaintiffs' Motion for Provisional Class Certification (Doc. 2) and Plaintiffs Motion for Preliminary Injunction (Doc. 3) on August 29, 2025. Prior to the hearing, Defendant Centurion of Georgia, LLC ("Centurion"), the contract medical provider for the GDC filed a response essentially stating its intent to comply with the state law at issue to the extent it is enforceable. (Doc. 24). The remaining Defendants, Defendant Tyrone Oliver, Commissioner of GDC, Defendant Randy Sauls, Assistant Commissioner of the Health Services Division of GDC, and Defendant Dr. Marlah Mardis, Statewide Medical Director for GDC (collectively, "State Defendants," Doc. 1 11 26-28), opposed both motions filed by Plaintiffs. (Docs. 25, 26). At the hearing, the Court took the matters under advisement.1 At its core, this case is no different from any case challenging prison medical care. When prison officials present expert evidence that they have made a treatment decision based on medical judgment, the Court will ordinarily defer to that reasonable exercise of judgment. But when a prisoner presents evidence that the treatment decision was based on something other than medical judgment, and backs it up with uncontroverted expert evidence that the prison's decision put them at a serious risk of harm, the prisoner generally prevails. When properly framed this way, the result here is straightforward. For the reasons that follow, the Court grants Plaintiffs' Motion for Provisional Class Certification and Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction. Background This is a constitutional challenge to Georgia Senate Bill 185, 2025 Georgia Laws Act 69 (("S.B. 185"), which went into effect upon approval by the Governor on May 8, 2025. (See id. § 2). S.B. 185 amended O.C.G.A. § 42-5-2(e)(1) to preclude "state funds or resources" from being used for, among other purposes, "[hormone replacement therapies" to treat gender dysphoria, as the Court explains further below. FURTHER ORDERED that Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction (Doc. 3) is GRANTED, and the Court ENTERS the following preliminary injunction: As to Class A: Defendants are DIRECTED to immediately cease tapering hormone therapy doses to class members for the purpose of S.B. 185 compliance. Defendants are FURTHER DIRECTED to resume providing class members hormone therapy according to the applicable standard of care without regard to S.B. 185 compliance. Nothing in this injunction requires Defendants to increase the dosage of hormone therapy (i) against the wishes of the class member or (ii) at a rate that puts an inmate at an unnecessary risk of harm based on the reasonable medical judgment of Defendants' medical professionals. As to Class B: Defendants are DIRECTED to evaluate class members for hormone therapy according to the applicable standard of care without regard to S.B. 185 compliance. For the avoidance of doubt, this injunction does not require Defendants to affirmatively identify class members and schedule them for evaluations. It only requires Defendants to follow their usual procedures for evaluating class members who request or are referred for medical evaluation, or who requested or were referred for such evaluation prior to May 8, 2025, without regard to S.B. 185's ban on hormone therapy.
September 4, 2025 at 10:50 PM
3lake.bsky.social
Remember when the MS state govt attempted to takeover JXN’s criminal legal system (from policing to the courts) in 2023?

Well, they tried to do it as an expansion of the Capital Complex Improvement District, which began as a state-initiated beautification project in JXN.
Screenshot of tweet from Blake Feldman @bfeldman89 on 9/21/23: In an 8-0 decision, MSSC holds that HB1020's addition of 4 unelected circuit judges violates the constitution. 6-justice majority holds that the 1020's creation of a CCID court is constitutional. Justices Kitchens and King dissent. [img of portion of Court’s opinion]
August 29, 2025 at 9:59 PM
3lake.bsky.social
Order granting TRO in MS Association of Educators v. IHL Board of Trustees storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
As mentioned above, Plaintiff's request a TRO to enjoin enforcement of only certain provisions of HB 1193 codified April 17, 2025. These provisions, say Plaintiffs, violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. Having reviewed the briefing, amended complaint, the law, and the record, this Court grants the requested temporary restraining order for the reasons set forth below. I. BACKGROUND HB 1193 imposes sweeping restrictions on Mississippi public institutions of education, prohibiting speech and programming related to so-called "divisive concepts." Plaintiffs challenge the following provisions: • Section 3(b): Bans engagement with "divisive concepts" as defined in Sections 2(d) and 2(e); • Section 3(f): Prohibits maintenance of programs that promote diversity, equity, inclusion ("DEI"), or endorse concepts such as gender identity and gender theory; • Section 3(g): Prohibits requiring any DEI training as a condition of enrollment, employment, or contracting; • Section 3(i): Prohibits any required activity that increases "awareness or understanding of issues related to race, sex, color, gender identity, sexual orientation or national origin." The statute threatens withdrawal of all state funding after two violations (Section 8) and requires institutions to implement complaint and investigative mechanisms (Section 7).
July 21, 2025 at 2:19 PM
3lake.bsky.social
Holy shit y’all! Its happening. I think I’m on the verge of following enough smart and relevant ppl on here that it’s 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 2010s era Twitter.
April 19, 2025 at 1:05 AM
3lake.bsky.social
SB 12 is no longer an alarmingly terrible bill for govt transparency and accountability! #gapol
April 4, 2025 at 6:25 PM
3lake.bsky.social
Since moving to GA last year, I’ve repeatedly expressed excitement for how much more transparent the state is than MS. Last night, however, the House Rules Cmte. amended SB 12 so that GA’s Open Records Act would be even worse than MS’s when it comes to police reports. #gapol
50-18-72. (a) Public disclosure shall not be required for public records that are: (1) Specifically required by federal statute or regulation to be kept confidential; (2) Medical or veterinary records and similar files, the disclosure of which would be an invasion of personal privacy; (3) Except as otherwise provided by law, records compiled for law enforcement or prosecution purposes to the extent that production of such records is reasonably likely to disclose the identity of a confidential source, disciose confidential investigative or prosecution material which would endanger the life or physical safety of any person or persons, or disclose the existence of a confidential surveillance or investigation; (4) Records of law enforcement, prosecution, or regulatory agencies in any pending investigation or prosecution of criminal or unlawful activity, other [striking “than imitial police arrest reports and initial incident reports”] [adding “the first incident report completed on a standard incident report form”]; provided, however, that an investigation or prosecution shall no longer be deemed to be pending [striking “when all direct litigation involving such investigation and prosecution has become final or otherwise terminated”] [adding “upon a final disposition of the accusation, indictment, or complaint and exhaustion of any right of appeal for all individuals charged on the same accusation, indictment, or complaint”]; and provided, further, that this paragraph shall not apply to records in the possession of an agency that is the subject of the pending investigation or prosecution; and provided, further, that the release of booking photographs shall only be permissible in accordance with Code Section 35-1-19;
April 3, 2025 at 7:48 PM
3lake.bsky.social
The GA Senate is set to vote on HB 123 on Monday! If it passed, the House will vote on whether to adopt the Senate version and send it to the governor’s desk for signature into law. #gapol
The Senate Committee on Rules adds HB 74, HB 94, HB 114, HB 116, HB 123, HB 137, HB 144, HB 150, HB 153, HB 155, HB 172, HB 199, HB 216, HB 240, HB 253, HB 268, HB 270, HB 288, HB 303, HB 308, HB 322, HB 327, HB 358, HB 399, HB 416, HB 491, HB 495, HB 511, HR 7 and HR 121 to the calendar for March 31 and stands adjourned. #gapol #gasenate #gasenRULES
March 28, 2025 at 8:41 PM
3lake.bsky.social
This afternoon, the Senate Judiciary Committee will take up HB 123. #gapol
SUBJECT: Senate Judiciary Meeting Notice DATE: March 20, 2025 TIME: 3PM PLACE: 307 CLOB AGENDA HB 162 (HAGAN, 156**) GEORGIA BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION; RESTRICTION AND SEAL OF FIRST OFFENDER ACT SENTENCES UNTIL SUCH STATUS IS REVOKED; PROVIDE LC 48 14765 • HB 131 (REEVES, 99**) SELF-SERVICE STORAGE FACILITIES; REVISE ADVERTISEMENT REQUIREMENTS BEFORE AN OWNER CAN ENFORCE AN OWNER'S LIEN LC 62 0052 • HB 378 (MOMTAHAN, 17) STATE COURTS OF COUNTIES; ONLINE PUBLISHING OF TERMS; PROVIDE LC 48 1455 • HB 123 (WERKHEISER, 157TH) CRIMINAL PROCEDURE: PRETRIAL PROCEEDINGS IN CAPITAL OFFENSE CASES WHERE THE DEATH PENALTY IS SOUGHT WHEN THE ACCUSED HAS INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY; PROVIDE LC 48 1378 • HB 447 (GULLETT, 19'*) CRIMES AND OFFENSES; CRIMES OF GIFT CARD THEFT, GIFT CARD FORGERY, AND GIFT CARD FRAUD; PROVIDE LC 48 1574S • HB 288 (GAINES, 120**) APPEAL AND ERROR; DECLARATORY JUDGEMENTS IN INSTANCES INVOLVING ACCUSATIONS MADE BY A PROSECUTING ATTORNEY REGARDING CREDIBILITY OF A PEACE OFFICER;
March 20, 2025 at 6:44 PM
3lake.bsky.social
Left: really alarming shit.

Right: slightly less but still really alarming shit.

#gapol
NBC NEWS Columbia disciplines students for protests as activists seek to block school from sharing records (Headline) The sanctions, which range from suspension to degree revocation, come days after the Trump administration said that it would cancel $400 million in federal grants. (subheader) [a photo captioned, “An encampment in support of Gaza at Columbia University”] March 13, 2025, 6:21 PM EDT / Updated March 13, 2025, 6:53 PM EDT By Tim Stelloh and Chloe Atkins Lines 62-77 of GA HB 602 (as introduced) with the following highlighted: “a student engaging in materially and substantially disruptive conduct on the campus of such postsecondary educational institution, shall as of the date of such conviction or determination be denied state funds for any loans, grants, or scholarships…. Any postsecondary educational institution operating within this state that receives state funds shall agree to comply with this article in order to be eligible for its students to receive state funds for any loans, grants, or scholarships.”
March 13, 2025 at 11:27 PM
3lake.bsky.social
There are 3 weeks left in the 2025 session of the Georgia General Assembly. A major legislative deadline last Thursday narrowed the number of bills that could become law this year. Here’s a short video update. #gapol
March 13, 2025 at 8:23 PM
3lake.bsky.social
January 25, 2025 at 3:15 AM
3lake.bsky.social
THANK YOU! ATLANTA CITY COUNCIL JUST VOTED 11-2* TO FUND PAD'S CONTRACT! SEND A THANK YOU NOTE TO THESE COUNCILMEMBERS! URGE MAYOR DICKENS TO SIGN PAD'S CONTRACT! #PADNotPolitics *COUNCILMEMBERS SHOOK AND NORWOOD VOTED NO. COUNCILMEMBER BAKHTIARI WAS ABSENT.
November 19, 2024 at 12:15 AM
3lake.bsky.social
it me again. still looking for a productive, healthy social media site 😔

mostly here bc I miss when the bird app had algorithms that weren’t trash and search functionality that um functioned
November 15, 2024 at 2:43 PM