News & Commentary

March is Women’s History Month! We're celebrating some of our favorite champions, from Maine and away.

In response to the Governor’s recent proposal to amp up the failed War on Drugs by adding 14 new law enforcement positions, 4 new assistant attorney positions dedicated specifically to drug crimes, and four new district court judges that would exclusively hear and decide drug-related cases - there has been some discussion about also expanding the availability of drug courts here in Maine.

This morning I met with members of a working group that’s organizing a yearlong series of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. There are over a dozen organizations contributing to this group and the ACLU is proud to be one of them.

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

Our partner profiles highlight the broad range of individuals and organizations we work with to advance and protect the rights of all people in Maine.

Good criminal justice reform news today to brighten this otherwise snowy morning! The New York Times reported that U.S Attorney General Eric Holder has endorsed a proposal by the Sentencing Commission that would change federal guidelines to reduce prison sentences for drugs crimes specifically related to sale of drugs.  The average federal sentence for dealing drugs is 62 months – this proposal would shorten that by about one year, to 51 months. This is in addition to Holder’s work to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug crimes.  In his testimony before the commission, Holder again delivered a powerful indictment of our broken criminal justice system.  

March is Women’s History Month! We're celebrating some of our favorite champions, from Maine and away.

Across the nation, lawmakers are waking up to the fact that it’s time for a new approach to drug abuse. Yet Gov. LePage is calling for a continuation of the same failed policies that have wreaked havoc on our communities and our state budgets. We are alarmed by the governor's plan to introduce legislation that would ramp up the failed drug war by adding 14 new law enforcement positions, 4 new assistant attorney positions dedicated specifically to drug crimes, and four new district court judges that would exclusively hear and decide drug-related cases. This proposal is estimated to cost 2.7 million dollar to implement.  To read our response to the Governor’s proposal click here. 

Just a few hours ago the ACLU was honored to host the first live interview with whistleblower Edward Snowden since his bombshell revelations about government spying last year. The “virtual conversation” took place at the SXSW Initiative, a massive technology festival held every year in Texas, and featured a highly-secure live video feed of Snowden.