News & Commentary

If you logged onto the ACLU of Maine Facebook page today, you were greeted with a new timeline photo: 

The votes are in from the Maine House --- we protected a woman's right to privacy, her right to choose.  Here are the votes: 1) LD 1193, An Act to Allow a Wrongful Death Cause of Action for the Death of an Unborn Child Final Vote: 82 to 60, the majority Ought Not To Pass Motion carries 2) LD 760, An Act Regarding Informed Consent to an Abortion Final Vote: 90 to 53, the majority Ought Not to Pass Motion carries 3) LD 1339, An Act to Strengthen the Consent Laws for Abortions Performed on Minors and Incapacitated Persons Final Vote: 81 to 61, the majority Ought Not to Pass Motion carries

I'm sitting in the gallery of the Maine House right now - it's almost 5:00 and I plan to be here for several more hours.  I think about the choices I've made in the last several weeks as I've testified before the Judiciary Committee, helped prepare others to testify, spoken with members of the media and members of our legislature.  And I think about a choices I hope to make in the future - the choice to carry a child in order to start a family with my partner. When that time comes, I hope we can go to our health care provider and have a thoughtful and private discussion about our options. I hope that throughout my pregnancy, I remain healthy. At the end, I hope I give birth to a healthy baby. In the event that something goes wrong, I hope we will have the choice to terminate the pregnancy in a safe way. My choices today and in the future are the result of the countless people who have come before me, people who have defended a woman's right to choose. I am thankful for their work. I am discouraged that we still must defend the right to choose, but I am proud to join forces with women and men I deeply respect to protect these rights. Tonight, the House will take up 3 anti-choice bills. And we'll be here to watch the debate and votes on all 3. It is a emotional debate, and hopefully a respectful one. We'll keep you posted.    

A woman’s right to have an abortion is under assault.  Take Arkansas and North Dakota, which recently passed two of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.  Or Kansas, which is considering a similar law.  Or Texas and Alabama, which are pushing bills designed to force women's health centers to shut their doors.  The list goes on. Maine could very well be next if three anti-choice bills before the Maine legislature become law: LD 760 would force doctors to tell women unnecessary, coercive information before they could obtain an abortion. LD 1339 would repeal Maine’s successful adult involvement law and replace it with a law requiring physicians to obtain signed consent from a minor’s parent before she can obtain an abortion. LD 1193 seeks to convey legal status to a fetus, including granting the fetus legal rights to “heirs and an estate.” Today, a group of mothers and grandmothers from around the state were in Augusta to push back against this dangerous legislation. You can help as well.  Tell your legislators not to roll back abortion rights.  You can also call the Maine Senate at 1-800-423-6900 and the Maine House at 1-800-423-2900. If you aren't sure who your representatives are, click here to search. Remember, in the words of ACLU founder Roger Baldwin, "No fight for liberty ever stays won."

If you’ve never heard of Myriad Genetics, now might be the time to become acquainted. Myriad is a molecular diagnostic company, and they own part of your body. More specifically, they own patents on two human genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2, both of which are associated with inherited risk of breast and ovarian cancer. We all have these genes, but people with certain mutations are much more likely to experience cancer in their lifetimes.   Because Myriad owns the patent on these genes, they have the exclusive rights to stop all clinical testing and research done on the genes. Their monopoly on the genes makes it impossible for women to access alternate tests or get a comprehensive second opinion about their results. And it also allows Myriad to charge a high price for its tests.   This is probably the point where you expect a big “April Fools!” announcement. A private company can’t own part of your body and keep other researchers from even looking at it, right? Sadly, gene patenting is no joke. However, if the ACLU is successful in our current legal challenge, it might be a thing of the past.   In just a couple weeks the Supreme Court will hear our lawsuit, Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, which challenges the basic idea that human genes can be patented. The Court has consistently said that products of nature and laws of nature are not patentable. Myriad claims that they “invented” the genes in question because they “isolated” them and removed them from the rest of the genome. We think that’s ridiculous and we’re hoping the Court agrees. And with roughly 20 percent of human genes already patented, their ruling won’t just affect these two genes, either.   For more information on gene patenting and the ACLU’s upcoming lawsuit, click here.

Each Friday, we’ll bring you updates on the latest civil liberties news from Maine and the nation. Militarization of the Police Earlier this week, we participated in a nationwide coordinated public records requests with other ACLU affiliates to learn more about the increasing militarization of the police. Click here to read about disturbing examples of police use of military training and equipment. Zach’s blog summarizes our concerns. Voting Rights Act Before the Supreme Court Last Week the supreme court heard the case of Shelby County V. Holder--a challenge to Section V of the Voting Rights Act. Laura Murphy, director of the ACLU's Washington Legislative Office, has her thoughts on that day here. Stephen Colbert hilariously weighs in with his take here. DOMA We hope the Supreme Court will rule in our favor on the upcoming DOMA case. Bill Clinton, the president who signed DOMA into law, concludes in this Op-Ed that DOMA is unconstitutional. We’re optimistic that Edie Winsor will find success and justice before the Supreme Court.    Reproductive Freedom This week, Arkansas passed the most restrictive abortion laws in the country, banning abortions after 12 weeks. The ACLU of Arkansas has vowed to fight the new laws in court. Read more here.   Compromise A bill proposed to address teacher concerns would have gutted recently passed Maine laws designed to protect students from unnecessary physical restraint.  However, the updated version assuages teacher concerns while leaving student protections intact. The ACLU of Maine was pleased to find solutions that protect both safety and civil liberties. Read more here.

Today marks 40 years since the Supreme Court affirmed, in Roe v. Wade, that a woman has the right to decide whether to have a baby or have an abortion.  No matter what you may think about abortion, we hope you agree that important decisions about if and when to have a baby are best made by women, their families and their doctors - not by politicians sitting in Augusta. Indeed, while efforts by politicians to restrict reproductive choices for women have escalated in recent years, the American people have shown they don't want politicians to interfere in personal, private decision-making. Tomorrow, the Maine Choice Coalition will be at the State House to celebrate Roe's assurance that women can make the best choices for themselves and their families. We’ll also be calling for measures to continue moving choice forward, such as public funding for Maine’s low-income women to access the health care they need.  You can read an op-ed from the Coalition in today's Bangor Daily News. Details about tomorrow's event are here. We'll be wearing purple and yellow, and the speaking program begins at 10:00. See you in Augusta!