Legislation

Legislation sought to restore representation in Rhode Island to “one person, one vote” by requiring that, for the purposes of redistricting, prisoners are identified as living at their last known address.

Perennial legislation, drafted by the ACLU, sought to reform a number of Rhode Island’s practices in relation to elections.

The General Assembly approved legislation amending the duties of the Drug Court magistrate, and altering which individuals are eligible for participation in the court.

This legislation will save lives by protecting from prosecution individuals calling for emergency care in the case of a drug overdose.

On June 13, Governor Chafee signed into law monumental legislation decriminalizing the possession of one ounce or less of marijuana, and imposing civil penalties instead of criminal charges against individuals in possession.

In March, the Affiliate testified before the Senate Health and Human Services committee in opposition to legislation sanctioning the creation of an electronic prescription monitoring database.

In March, the Affiliate testified before the House Health, Education and Welfare committee in favor of legislation to prevent the use of standardized tests as a barrier to graduation.

While tobacco use among teenagers is by no means to be encouraged, legislation mandating participation in a tobacco treatment program for any minor caught using or possessing tobacco products brought opposition from the ACLU and health groups, including anti-smoking advocacy groups.

As cell phone technology has advanced and smartphones have become ubiquitous, the devices we carry on a daily basis have begun to contain substantial amounts of personal information, including e-mails, photos, and records of where we’ve been traveling.