News & Commentary

Testimony of ACLU of Maine Executive Director Alison Beyea before the Joint Standing Committee on the Judiciary on March 7, 2019

By Tammy L. Brown, Associate Professor of Black World Studies, History, and Global and Intercultural Studies, Miami University

Each week we will provide you with a rundown of top news stories and must-read articles.

Each week we will provide you with a rundown of top news stories and must-read articles.

The Maine legislature is considering two bills that would make it harder for some Mainers to vote. 

By Stacy Sullivan, Associate Director of Strategic Communications, ACLUOriginally posted at aclu.orgAs inauguration ceremonies commenced for President Trump, I was aboard the Amtrak 2117 from New York to Washington, D.C. Almost everyone on the train was female, and there was no need to ask anyone where they were going. The train was a river of pink pussy hats. Amy Schumer was in the next car over, with a running commentary on the inaugural, which a fellow passenger was streaming.When we arrived in Washington’s Union Station, our pink hats met a smattering of red caps. Trump supporters, fresh from inaugural ceremonies, roamed the corridors in their trademark “Make America Great Again” hats. To be sure, Friday, Janua

Tomorrow the Supreme Court will hear the most important reproductive rights case in decades. The lawsuit challenges two provisions of Texas law that make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for some women to have an abortion. One requires doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the clinic; the other requires abortion clinics to meet the standards for an ambulatory surgical center.

All of us at the ACLU were shocked and saddened by the shooting at Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs on Friday, November 27. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of those who were lost in this terrible tragedy – Jennifer Markovsky, Ke'Arre Stewart and Garrett Swasey – as well as the nine other people who were injured in this attack and the employees and patients of Planned Parenthood whose lives will be forever changed by what they experienced.

You might have heard of a bill making its way through congress called the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015, or "American SAFE Act of 2015." Despite the catchy title, the bill has little to do with safety. It actually creates barriers against the most vulnerable people seeking safety in the U.S. Unfortunately, the bill has already passed the House and is headed to the Senate soon. We're calling on Senator King and Senator Collins to take a stand against this discriminatory bill and vote no on the "SAFE" Act.