Legislation

We supported legislation which would have allowed the pretrial release of individuals without the requirement of monetary bail for most misdemeanor charges.

After a decision last year from the former-Commissioner of Education affirmed guidelines for equity in public school field trips, it provoked considerable confusion and public attention. It was inevitable that legislation to address this would move swiftly through the legislature.

One of many bills which would generate a “new” crime would create specific penalties for individuals who commit larceny by stealing packages from either a house, office, or other dwelling.

This bill would unnecessarily expand the punishments which can be doled out under the animal cruelty laws, including for hoarding offenses.

Each legislative session, dozens of bills are introduced, and a number of them passed, which counteract the important work of criminal justice reform, as these new crimes and increased sentences are often arbitrary and almost always unnecessary.

Although the version of this bill introduced last year would have provided important and comprehensive protections for parents with disabilities and was strongly supported by the ACLU, a revised version introduced this session raises many concerns.

We supported a variety of bills introduced this session which would strengthen the Fair Employment Practices Act, protect domestic workers, and prevent an employer from signing a non-disclosure agreement as a condition of employment.

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.

The ACLU has consistently opposed the imposition of mandatory minimum sentencing terms on the grounds that they are ineffective, costly, eliminate individualized consideration of the offender and the offense, and place too much power in the hands of prosecutors instead of neutral judges.