News & Commentary

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.

Earlier this week, both the Maine State Senate and House voted down LD 1428, a bill that would have authorized discrimination in the name of religion. The so-called "religious freedom" bill actually had little to do with religious freedom, which the ACLU of Maine has a long (and successful) history of defending, but would have created a gaping exemption to the Maine Human Rights Act. We testified against the bill last month, along side our partners in the Religious Coalition Against Discrimination, the LGBT Coalition, the Coalition for Maine Women, the Choice Coalition, and many more. You can read our testimony here.

This week the Executive Director of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, Sue Roche and visiting professor at the University of Maine School of Law, Anna Welch co-authored an excellent op-ed in the Portland Press Herald about Maine’s need for a comprehensive federal immigration reform bill.

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

We went into the 126th Legislature with a plan: to bring Maine's privacy laws up to speed with advancing technology. To that end, we proposed a 5-bill privacy package with bipartisan sponsorship. And while it was an uphill battle the whole way, we were successful in winning privacy protections and standing up for the 4th Amendment! 

An immigration reform bill introduced in April 2013 in the Senate has the potential to be a historic advance for the civil rights and liberties of immigrants and all Americans. If passed, it will put millions of immigrants who contribute every day to the vitality of our country on a road to citizenship. Go here to learn more and follow along. 

Today I testified against three bills that would severely, and unconstitutionally, restrict welfare benefits for some of Maine's most vulnerable families. Two of the bills seek to limit the number of people who can receive state aid by creating unconstitutional residency requirements and automatically terminating benefits for anyone convicted of a drug crime. The third bill would allow random, suspicionless drug testing of public benefit recipients in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

It was a glorious Wednesday to be in Portland, and not just because of the sunny skies. With hundreds of Mainers taking to the streets to march in support of comprehensive immigration reform, this year’s March and Rally for Immigration Reform couldn’t have gone any better. After marching down Congress Street, the crowd assembled in the heart of downtown Portland to hear from speakers, musicians, and local activists. We heard immigrants tell stories of uprooted families and detention that lasted for months. We listened to drummers, singers, and poets. Dozens of organizations that helped sponsor the event – including the ACLU of Maine – spoke about the need for solidarity and a fair and inclusive roadmap to citizenship. The ACLU’s own Jill Barkley addressed the crowd as well, telling her personal story about the importance of protecting the rights of same-sex, bi-national couples. It was an exciting moment for Portland, but we were not alone. Folks from all over the state were on hand, and similar rallies have played out all over the country today. As many of the speakers noted, now is the time for immigration reform. So if you haven’t already contacted your representatives in Congress, now is the time! Follow this link and you can quickly send a message to Maine’s congressional delegation telling them to support comprehensive immigration reform that protects civil liberties. Here are a few pictures from the event:

Each Friday, we’ll bring you updates on the latest civil liberties news from Maine and the nation. Immigration Reform The highly anticipated comprehensive immigration reform bill dropped this week. At the ACLU, we celebrate the possibility of a pathway to citizenship for more than 11 million people in this country. As you can read here, eight in 10 Americans support a fair immigration system.  While the bill as drafted contains some concerning provisions (See our blog about the E-verify system), we are, on the whole, excited about the prospect of more people having more rights as citizens. ACLU lawyers are currently digging through more than 800 pages of the proposed bill armed with their civil liberties expertise. The Washington post gave their overview here. Other media can be read here, here, and here.   CISPA The House passed an overreaching "cyber security" bill on Thursday known as CISPA.  CISPA could compromise your electronic privacy by allowing companies to share private information (for a full breakdown of what it says and what it should say, visit our resource CISPA Explained). Fortunately, the president shares some of our concerns and has threatened to veto the bill. Read a New York Times technology article on CISPA here. Forced Blood Tests at the Side of the Road: The Supreme Court ruled in Missouri v. McNeely that the warrantless blood test of a man suspected of drunk driving was an unconstitutional search. ACLU legal director Steve Shapiro, who argued the case in the Court, was quoted here saying, “Today’s decision appropriately recognizes what half the states have already demonstrated -- that maintaining highway safety does not require sacrificing personal privacy” ACLU Sues Flower Shop for Discrimination The ACLU affiliate in Washington state filed a lawsuit on behalf of a gay couple denied service at a flower shop for their upcoming wedding. Read more in this news story.   Texas Execution Texas executed its third death row inmate this year, the eight execution in the country this year. Read more here.