This week at the ACLU of Maine: A victory for due process and immigrants' rights at the State House, all bills attacking trans rights are officially defeated in Augusta, and a devastating loss for trans rights at the Supreme Court.
A Victory for Due Process and Immigrants' Rights
In a very close vote, lawmakers passed LD 1971. This bill would strengthen the due process rights of all people in Maine and ensure local taxpayer resources are not used to commit civil rights violations through partnerships with federal immigration authorities. When state and local law enforcement proactively carry out federal immigration enforcement, they support federal practices that often violate due process and undermine community safety. This not only violates a fundamental constitutional protection, but also exposes our towns and cities to costly legal liabilities and undermines community safety more broadly.
The bill is now before Gov. Mills. Read more about LD 1971 here.
ALL Bills Attacking Trans Rights Have been Defeated
Maine lawmakers have officially defeated all eight bills attacking transgender rights. The bills ranged from banning trans student-athletes to entirely removing gender identity protections from the Maine Human Rights Act.
Some of these bills were defeated by margins as small as one vote. Every single phone call, email, and conversation with elected officials made a difference. Your voice is your power, and you truly made this possible.
In Maine, we take our freedoms seriously. Our state's commitment to privacy and individual rights, from reproductive freedom to marriage equality, consistently supports the idea that all people should have control over their bodies and their lives.
Supreme Court Ruling in U.S. v. Skrmetti
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court ruled that Tennessee's law banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth can remain in effect.
The court returned these decisions to the states. This ruling is a devastating loss for transgender people around the country and an affront to the Constitution. But gender-affirming care remains legal in Maine for young people and adults. Just this week, Maine lawmakers upheld state-level protections that will ensure access to care.
The ACLU’s other cases against the president on behalf of trans people can proceed. We will not back down from the fight for trans health care and for trans people’s dignity and freedom.
