Legislation

This bill would create an entirely new power for the Office of Civil Rights Advocate within the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office which would allow for this office to summon any person who may have information about potentially unlawful activities and compel them to disclose their knowledge.

This bill would have made it a crime for a person to, during a parade, demonstration, or rally, wear a gas mask, wear protective clothing or equipment designed to prevent a person from injury, or wear any mask at all with the “intent to intimidate another person.”

We opposed a provison within the proposed FY 2021 budget which would expand the tax credit program for businesses that make donations to “scholarship organizations” which funnel money to private and parochial schools for tuition purposes.

The distribution or display of constitutionally protected conduct cannot be elevated to a criminal offense solely because of how the person viewing it reacts, yet this bill would unconstitutionally punish individuals based on a prediction of how they respond to certain types of protected speech.

This critical legislation would have guaranteed that access to the internet remained non-discriminatory and that internet service providers couldn't choose what sites you have access to or how quickly you can access them.

The ACLU has previously opposed legislation which would give broad authority to municipalities to regulate and prohibit “live entertainment,” since such discretion and authority has great potential to raise serious First Amendment concerns. This bill would give this authority to the town of Bristol.