News & Commentary

On Tuesday, Congressional Democrats said that they have created legislation that would override the disappointing June 30 SCOTUS decision on the contraceptive mandate. The Protect Women's Health from Corporate Interference Act, drafted in consultation with the Obama administration, is meant to ensure that working women have access to insurance coverage for contraceptive care, even if they are employed with for-profit companies whose owners have religious objections to birth control.

This weekend, the Boston Globe published an article focused on Governor LePage’s prioritization of arrests over treatment in response to Maine's rise in drug abuse rates. The article pointed out that last month, the governors of New England convened a meeting to address the sharp rise in opioid overdoses across the region and to discuss best practices to combating this tragic public health problem. LePage however, was a no show.

As a new map out from the ACLU makes clear, Maine is a leader on protecting the privacy of our residents. 

Many of us are still reeling from the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling on Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. The decision, delivered on Monday, concluded that closely held for-profit corporations do not have to comply with the contraceptive mandate portion of the Affordable Care Act. Closely held corporations are, generally, corporations that have more than 50% of their outstanding stock owned by five or fewer individuals at any time during the last half of the tax year. The majority opinion in the decision states that complying with the contraceptive mandate stands in violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), a federal law that states that the government cannot pass laws that substantially burden the practice of religion. In her dissent, Justice Ginsberg called the ruling “a decision of startling breadth.” For a thorough explanation of the ruling, read Rachael’s blog about Monday’s decision.

Last week, the New York Times published an article on sky-high phone rates and money transfer fees in prison. The article focuses on Clallam Bay Corrections Center, a state prison in rural Washington. There, phone calls start at $3.15, outgoing emails at 33 cents and all money transfers at $4.95. Two private companies, Global Tel-Link and JPay, are contracted to provide all phone, Internet and money transfers to the prisoners there.

On Wednesday, we’ll be sponsoring a special screening in Portland of “The Internet’s Own Boy,” the story of programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz. Before taking his own life at the age of 26, Aaron was a technological whiz kid with his fingerprints all over the Internet. But in his final years his political activism and aggressive approach to information access ensnared him in a legal battle with the government that threatened to put him in prison for decades.We’re excited to present this film not only because it tells Aaron’s compelling personal story, but also because it touches on many new areas of law that the ACLU has been dealing with over the past few years. From free speech on the Internet to net neutrality to the overall relationship between

Today’s decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby (formerly Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby) dealt a serious blow to a woman’s right to comprehensive healthcare. In a closely divided 5-4 decision, the court held that the contraceptive mandate portion of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which requires employer health plans provide comprehensive coverage for women’s health, violated the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The case arose when two for-profit corporations, Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood, sued the government arguing that covering certain forms of contraception, including emergency contraception and IUDs, violated their religious beliefs. In striking down the contraceptive mandate, the court has given employers the right to decide whether women have access to affordable contraceptives, along with what type and in what circumstances.

Each Friday, we’ll bring you updates on the latest civil liberties news from Maine and the nation.

A year ago today, we celebrated when the Supreme Court struck down DOMA as a result of our case with Edie Windsor. Edie's win was a win for all of us, and it markes a turning point in the fight for the freedom to marry. Today, it seems there's no going back.