Here are some important law-and-religion news stories from around the web:
- In a non-binding national referendum conducted by mail, 61.6% of Australian voters supported legalizing same-sex marriage.
- A federal lawsuit in West Virginia over Bible-based classes offered in elementary and middle schools was dismissed because the schools suspended the courses for one year while their content is reviewed.
- The number of reported hate crimes in the United States rose slightly in 2016, with Jews and Muslims targeted the most.
- An evangelical megachurch in Tennessee that Time magazine had identified as among the first to support gay rights has seen a significant decline in membership.
- The Supreme Court will hear a challenge to a California law requiring all pregnancy counseling centers, including those run by groups that oppose abortion, to post information about abortion and contraception services.