News & Commentary

Last Saturday we marked the anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark civil rights case that ruled state-sanctioned public school segregation is unconstitutional. In a friend-of-the-court brief in that case, the ACLU and partnering organizations argued that “segregation and equality cannot co-exist. That which is unequal in fact cannot be equal in law.”

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

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

As the 2014 legislative session comes to a close, I’m still holding my breath for five bills that have made their way to the governor’s desk. The governor has until next week to decide whether to sign, veto, or let the bills pass into law without signature.

Last year the ACLU released a groundbreaking report that chronicled in remarkable detail the vast racial injustices that persist throughout the United States with respect to enforcement of marijuana laws. It was not a pretty picture, but it was a story that had to be told.

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.

Last Thursday, Anna and I took a field trip to the Engine Art Gallery in Biddeford to see the exhibit “Reflect: Convicts’ Letters to Their Younger Selves.” In the exhibit letters from prisoners were super-imposed over their picture. Beside the photo a label listed their first name, crime, how many years they had served and how many they had left. All the letters expressed deep sadness and regret. These men – some who had committed very serious crimes – had lost everything, from watching their children grow up to deciding what to eat for dinner.