ALEXANDRA OLSON and CLAIRE SAVAGE Business Writers, Author at The Rapid City Post

Andrea Lucas, nominee to be a member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Acting head of civil rights agency defends decisions undercutting transgender workers

June 18, 2025

The acting chair of the federal agency that enforces workers rights acknowledged during a Senate hearing Wednesday that transgender workers are protected under civil rights laws but defended her decision to drop lawsuits on their behalf, saying her agency is not independent and must comply with President Donald Trump’s orders. Andrea Lucas, who was first appointed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2020 and elevated to chair in January, spoke at her confirmation hearing at the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Republican lawmakers praised her leadership, while Democrats accused her of politicizing the agency.

FILE - The emblem of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is shown on a podium in Vail, Colorado, Feb. 16, 2016, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Judge vacates federal rules requiring employers to provide accommodations for abortions

May 21, 2025

A federal judge in Louisiana on Wednesday struck down government regulations requiring most employers nationwide to provide workers with time off and other accommodations for abortions. Judge David Joseph’s ruling was a victory for conservative lawmakers and religious groups who decried the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s decision to include abortion among pregnancy-related conditions in regulations on how to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which passed in December 2022. The EEOC’s decision swiftly prompted several lawsuits and eroded what had been strong bipartisan support for the law designed to strengthen the rights of pregnant workers.

ALEXANDRA OLSON and CLAIRE SAVAGE Business Writers.

Acting head of civil rights agency defends decisions undercutting transgender workers

Judge vacates federal rules requiring employers to provide accommodations for abortions

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