Each Friday, we’ll bring you updates on the latest civil liberties news from Maine and the nation.
SCOTUS - the good and the bad: The Supreme Court has the ability to leave us completely disappointed or overwhelmingly happy. This week, the Justices did both.
- Voting Rights: On Tuesday, the court invalidated a major part of the Voting Rights Act, one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation in history. The ACLU represented the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP and several voters in Shelby County who intervened in the lawsuit, Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder, to defend the constitutionality of the VRA. Even though Chief Justice John Roberts noted that the legislation "has proved immensely successful at redressing racial discrimination and integrating the voting process," and admitted "voting discrimination still exists; no one doubts that," he joined the majority in ruling that Section 4 of the law is no longer needed. Go here to learn why the important protections of the VRA are still needed. Go here to take action to help restore the VRA.
- Marriage Equality: A day after striking a blow to voting rights, the Supreme Court issued a major victory for equality when it ruled the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional. With the overturn of DOMA, the federal government will now recognize the legal marriages of same-sex couples in the state of Maine. There are more than 1100 places in federal laws and programs where being married makes a difference – from eligibility for family medical leave, to social security survivor’s benefits, to access to health care for a spouse. Go here to see how we celebrated in Maine!
Texas - Standing with Wendy: Around the nation, people stayed glued to their live feeds until well past midnight, as thousands of Texans filled the state capitol to support Senator Wendy Davis and her 13-hour filibuster of a restrictive anti-choice bill that would have made it extremely difficult for women in Texas to access abortion care. Their efforts succeeded in defeating the bill for now, and we wait to see what's next. Go here to learn about the ACLU's efforts to fight back extreme anti-abortion measures around the nation.
