ACLU of Washington News and Events

Civil Liberties Measures Advance in State Legislature

ACLU of Washington State — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 PST

With the 2010 Washington Legislature in its final days, ACLU-supported bills have moved forward that provide privacy protections for highway tolling, limit shackling of pregnant inmates, and provide immunity from drug possession charges for persons who seek medical assistance for someone experiencing a drug overdose.

Military Leaders Call for Ending Discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy

ACLU of Washington State — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PST

At an historic Senate hearing, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael G. Mullen, called for an end to the discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

Appeals Court Finds Pervasive Racism in State?s Criminal Justice System

ACLU of Washington State — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 PST

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ground-breaking ruling that pervasive racial discrimination in the state?s criminal justice system results in minorities with felony convictions disproportionately being prevented from voting, violating the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Is Big Brother Watching Your ORCA card?

ACLU of Washington State — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 PST

Without appropriate protections for privacy, information gathered by the new regional ORCA transit card could enable employers and others to track transit riders? travels. The Seattle Times provides an in-depth look at concerns raised by the ACLU-WA and other privacy advocates.

Panel on Open Government

ACLU of Washington State — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 PST

Join the ACLU-WA Pierce County Chapter in celebrating Sunshine Week at a panel discussion on openness in government. Sunshine Week is a national initiative to promote government transparency and freedom of information. Panelists include Attorney General Rob McKenna, Peter Callaghan of the Tacoma News Tribune, Lakewood City Manager Andy Neiditz, and ACLU-WA cooperating attorney Scott Johnson.

CLE on Racial Disparity in Discipline

ACLU of Washington State — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 PST

Continuing education for attorneys. Join us at Wing Luke Asian Museum for the second installment of the ACLU of Washington?s 2010 "Law & Liberty" CLE series, with this session focusing on the school-to-prison pipeline.

High School Student Conference

ACLU of Washington State — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:00:00 PST

The ACLU-WA presents a free daylong event for high school students in the Puget Sound region to learn about their rights and share ideas about civil liberties. The conference combines group presentations by experts with small group discussions and workshops