Legislation

In an effort to address a major human rights and civil liberties concern, legislation on behalf of the Affiliate, RI State Nurses Association and RI NOW was introduced to prohibit shackling or otherwise restraining incarcerated pregnant women during labor, delivery and post-recovery.

More than thirty House members are co-sponsoring a bill that, following in the footsteps of Massachusetts, would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.

House and Senate committees heard testimony on dangerous legislation requiring the collection of DNA samples from any person arrested for a felony.

Ever since 9/11, the State Police have been fighting to enact a troubling proposal to give law enforcement broad authority to secretly obtain, without a warrant, subscriber information from Internet service providers.

The Affiliate testified in opposition to bills that would eliminate judicial discretion and require installation of an ignition interlock on the vehicle owned by DUI offenders.

Two major bills will be in play this year to support and legitimize the relationships of same-sex couples: one will allow them to marry, the other to divorce.

Budget Article 32 would double, from $1 million to $2 million, the tax credit program for businesses that make donations to “scholarship organizations” that funnel money to private and parochial schools for tuition purposes.

Expect to see repeat legislation this year from Immigrants United (IU), a coalition of which the RI ACLU is an active member.

A perennial anti-immigrant bill, requiring all nongovernmental employers with more than two employees to enroll in and use the controversial federal E-Verify program, has had its hearing in the House.