Archive

Shocking revelations about creepy government surveillance came in waves over the summer, from the Snowden leaks to the Hemisphere Project, through which the government has paid AT&T for access to a mind-bogglingly vast database of our telephone calls. In many cases of new surveillance technologies like Hemisphere, there are serious constitutional concerns that courts have not yet reviewed. Tha... Read More

Gov. Jerry Brown today vetoed SB 744, authored by Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Long Beach) and which would have limited the circumstances in which students can be transferred to alternative schools, ensured appropriate educational placements and created ways for students sent to these schools to transfer back to mainstream schools. Read More

Today is a frustrating day in California. Despite huge overwhelming support from California voters from across the state and political spectrum, Gov. Jerry Brown has vetoed an historic sentencing reform bill that was sent to his desk with bipartisan support in the state Legislature. Read More

Gov. Jerry Brown today vetoed a bill that would have modestly reformed California’s drug sentencing laws for simple possession, significantly reduced incarceration costs for counties and helped the state end its ongoing incarceration crisis. Read More

Today Governor Brown missed an important opportunity to improve educational opportunities for our most vulnerable students by vetoing SB 744. The bill, authored by Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Long Beach) would have protected students by establishing fair transfer processes, ensuring that students’ educational needs are met and providing clear pathways for students to return to traditional schools. Read More

Yesterday, Governor Brown signed AB 154 to expand access to abortion in California. The legislation addresses a current shortage in the state—52% of California counties don’t have an accessible abortion provider—and allows women to receive care in their own communities from providers they already know and trust. At a time when reproductive health, rights, and justice are under attack in so much of... Read More

Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation on Oct. 9, 2013 that would increase access to safe, early abortion for California women. The bill, AB 154 was authored by Assembly member Toni Atkins (D-San Diego). AB 154 improves access by authorizing trained and qualified nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and physicians assistants to perform early abortions. Read More

The ACLU of California applauds Governor Brown for signing AB 4, the TRUST Act, a bill authored by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano. The TRUST Act creates a clear standard for when local law enforcement will respond to federal immigration detainer requests that result from the Secure Communities program (S-Comm). S-Comm requires local law enforcement to share the fingerprints of anyone they arrest with ... Read More

Today, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law AB 60: The Safe and Responsible Driver Act. Starting in January 2015, California residents who learn the rules of the road and pass a driving test will be eligible to obtain a driver's license regardless of immigration status. The Safe and Responsible Driver Act is an important step forward for over one million undocumented drivers who live in California... Read More

Comedian and actor David Moss fell into hard times with a drug addiction that immediately became a struggle he couldn’t overcome. Addiction had landed him in a cycle of arrests – not just one or two times, but a whopping 14 times for the same charge: being under the influence of a narcotic. Read More