Oct 01, 2014

Today the ACLU, along with a coalition of partner organizations, went to Facebook to urge it to fix its flawed “real name” policy and provide users meaningful due process.

During that meeting Facebook apologized for the harm that the current policy has caused users, especially those in the LGBTQ community, and promised to improve its reporting, enforcement, and appeals processes.

Sep 30, 2014

When students at Glendale Unified School District learned through news reports last year that their Facebook and other social media accounts were being monitored by the district through a third-party company known as Geo Listening, students and parents were shocked, and so were we.

Sep 29, 2014

California had the chance to be a leader in requiring police to get a warrant to use surveillance technology. But Gov. Brown vetoed a bill, AB 1327, that would have done just that for police drones.

This is a big disappointment and Gov. Brown missed the mark with this veto.

AB 1327 would have provided basic statewide protections against abuse by police drones. Without it, cities and counties are left to figure it out on their own. So far, this has not gone well.

For Immediate Release: Sep 29, 2014
Media Contact: press@aclunc.org, (415) 621-2493
A child sits alone
On Sunday, Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 873, a bill which will set aside $3 million to provide legal aid to refugee children fleeing endemic violence in their home countries. In response, the ACLU of California issued the following statement: "While the ACLU of California applauds California lawmakers and Gov. Jerry Brown for taking important steps to ensure that some children aren't forced to go unrepresented in immigration court, ultimately state efforts can only go so far: a comprehensive solution must come from the federal government. The Obama administration must step forward and do what is right: provide legal representation to all children facing deportation. Leaving children defenseless in immigration court falls short of due process and betrays our core values as a nation."
For Immediate Release: Sep 28, 2014
Media Contact: press@aclunc.org, (415) 621-2493
prison bars sentencing disparity victory
Today Gov. Jerry Brown signed the California Fair Sentencing Act (SB 1010) authored by Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles). The legislation eliminates the groundless disparity in sentencing, probation, and asset forfeiture guidelines for possession of crack cocaine for sale versus the same crime involving powder cocaine that has resulted in a pattern of racial discrimination in sentencing and incarceration in California. The law takes effect in January.
For Immediate Release: Sep 28, 2014
Media Contact: press@aclunc.org, (415) 621-2493
Two young men in caps and gowns raise their fists at a graduation celebration for undocumented immigrants
Today a broad coalition of organizations commends Governor Brown for signing Senate Bill 1159, a bill that improves access to economic opportunities to immigrants in California. The bill, by Senator Ricardo Lara (D), allows qualified individuals to obtain professional licenses, regardless of immigration status. Thus California continues to lead the way in fully incorporating immigrants as contributing members of society.
For Immediate Release: Sep 27, 2014
Media Contact: press@aclunc.org, (415) 621-2493
kid
Today California becomes the first state in the nation to eliminate suspensions for its youngest children, and all expulsions for all students for minor misbehavior such as talking back, failing to have school materials and dress code violations. Gov. Jerry Brown’s signing today of AB 420 caps a landmark year for the movement away from harsh discipline policies and toward positive discipline and accountability approaches that keep children in school.
Sep 26, 2014
On a visit to the ACLU office in San Francisco, my sons Cyrus and Juno, age 11 and 7, stood in the hallway. Come in my office, I asked them. But they wouldn’t budge. I stepped back in the hallway to see what had their attention. It was the giant “Banned Books” poster mounted on the wall. On the poster are some of their favorite books, including A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein.
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