Regulation of Drones Can't Come Soon Enough
edward, February 28, 2013 - 7:58pmTalk about great timing.
On Tuesday, the ACLU of Maine and privacy advocates testified before the Judiciary Committee in favor of a bill to put reasonable limits on law enforcement use of drones for surveillance. "An Act To Protect the Privacy of Citizens from Domestic Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Use," sponsored by Sen. John Patrick (D-Rumford), would require a warrant in most cases before police could use the unmanned aerial vehicles for surveillance.
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On Tuesday, the ACLU of Maine and privacy advocates testified before the Judiciary Committee in favor of a bill to put reasonable limits on law enforcement use of drones for surveillance. "An Act To Protect the Privacy of Citizens from Domestic Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Use," sponsored by Sen. John Patrick (D-Rumford), would require a warrant in most cases before police could use the unmanned aerial vehicles for surveillance.
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Young Adults
jill, February 27, 2013 - 6:53pmWhen I think about myself as a young adult, I think about a time in my life where I was still very much discovering who I was. I made a lot of mistakes, had a handful of successes and needed a ton of support to grow up. I was lucky. I had a great family and wonderful friends and a number of mentors and employers and educators who helped me a long the way.
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Limits on Domestic Drone Surveillance
shenna, February 26, 2013 - 9:30pmThe ACLU of Maine has a drone. Actually, we have two that we borrowed from Portland residents who are using drones for recreational purposes. Our ease in obtaining drones in a week's time demonstrates that drones are now relatively cheap, easy to obtain and within the space of a few years may be ubiquitous in the American airspace.
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Voting Rights Act Under Challenge at the Supreme Court
Jon, February 25, 2013 - 6:22pmOn Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear an extremely important case, Shelby County v. Holder, that focuses on the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act. Passed in 1965, the act is one of the most effective and enduring pieces of civil rights legislation in American history. The ACLU intervened in the case on behalf of the Alabama NAACP and several African-American residents whose voting rights are directly impacted by the challenge.
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Protecting Mainers from Privacy Breaches
oami, February 22, 2013 - 5:45pmMore and more, we are living our lives electronically. Cell phones, tablets, and laptops are common-place. We communicate with each other over texts, emails, and tweets more frequently than face-to-face conversations. Many personal records exist solely in electronic form - from bank statements to medical records. While electronic data storage is certainly convenient and cost-effective, it also exposes us to both the unintentional and malicious disclosure of personal, identifying information.
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This Week in Civil Liberties: GSAs, Early Voting, Drones, and Legalizing Marijuana
Ryan, February 22, 2013 - 2:14pmEach Friday, we’ll bring you updates on the latest civil liberties news from Maine and the nation.
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Legalizing Marijuana
shenna, February 21, 2013 - 5:15pmToday I joined a bipartisan coalition of legislators and the Marijuana Policy Project for a press conference at the statehouse in Augusta to endorse a bill to legalize marijuana in Maine. You can watch the press conference here.
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Limits Needed on Drone Use
edward, February 21, 2013 - 4:16pmNext week, the Maine Legislature's Judiciary Committee will conduct a public hearing on LD 236 (SP 72), "An Act To Protect the Privacy of Citizens from Domestic Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Use." LD 236 would place state limits on domestic drone use, including requiring a warrant or court order for law enforcement purposes.
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Rock the Early Vote!
jill, February 20, 2013 - 4:26pm
The photo above is our own Shenna Bellows, speaking at a press conference to support an early voting amendment to our state's constitution. The bill, which had a public hearing earlier today, was brought forward by Representative Mike Shaw of Standish. Representative Shaw and his town clerk both testified about the importance of instituting true early voting across the Pine Tree State.
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Choosing Between Pain Relief and Employment
Rachel, February 19, 2013 - 8:14pmLast week we filed a lawsuit on behalf of Brittany Thomas, a 24-year-old mother from Pittsfield who was denied rehiring by a staffing firm because she uses medical marijuana in accordance with state law.
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