Ten years ago, the ACLU of Maine told Maine's Liquor Licensing Unit to say "No, No, No!" to censorship. 

In what might have been the most talked about censorship case of 2006, we filed a lawsuit on behalf of Daniel Shelton of Shelton Brothers Brewing, a specialty beer distributor who was refused permission to sell “Santa’s Butt Winter Porter," which features Santa’s fully-clothed derriere perched atop a barrel (or “butt”) of beer, because the label was deemed "undignified or improper."

Maine law requires beer and liquor distributors to obtain a Certificate of Approval and to register the labels with the Maine Bureau of Liquor Enforcement.  The Bureau ensures that labels are factually accurate - displaying the correct ingredients and the proper volume, for example- and polices the illustrations used on the labels.  The strict policing that landed Santa’s Butt on the chopping block raised constitutional concerns and lead to our challenge of the decision.

Thanfully, the state of Maine recognized that the First Amendment protects even Santa's right to be a little naughty sometimes, and reversed its decision before the case went to court. As a result, Super Lawyer Magazine named ACLU of Maine legal director Zachary Heiden a "hero of beer drinkers everywhere." And THAT is something to be merry about.

NEW YORK — In response to reports that Sen. Jeff Sessions will be nominated for the position of Attorney General and Rep. Mike Pompeo for director of the Central Intelligence Agency, ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero made the following statement:

“As a matter of organizational policy, the American Civil Liberties Union does not take a position supporting or opposing presidential or judicial nominations. We do, however, educate the American people and the Congress about nominees’ records and past positions.

“Sen. Sessions has called the ACLU un-American and communist, assertions we flatly reject. His positions on LGBT rights, capital punishment, abortion rights, and presidential authority in times of war have been contested by the ACLU and other civil rights organizations. As the nation’s highest-ranking law enforcement official, the attorney general is charged with protecting the rights of all Americans. In his confirmation hearings, senators, the media, and the American public should closely examine his stances on these key issues to ensure we can have confidence in his ability to uphold the Constitution and our laws on behalf of all Americans.

“Congressman Pompeo’s positions on bulk surveillance and Guantanamo Bay also raise serious civil liberties concerns about privacy and due process. These positions and others merit serious public scrutiny through a confirmation process. His positions on mass surveillance have been rejected by federal courts and have been the subject of several lawsuits filed by the ACLU, including ACLU v. Clapper.”

This news release is online here: https://www.aclu.org/news/aclu-statement-potential-sessions-and-pompeo-nominations