Legislation

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

These bills would have ensured judicial oversight in the process of asset seizure by law enforcement, and would have provided for the ability of Rhode Island residents to retain their belongings without the burdens that a civil forfeiture process places upon them.

The ACLU testified on a variety of election-related bills, some of which we supported and some of which we did not.

This legislation would have ensured that a positive drug test cannot become a roundabout way of firing or refusing to employ a patient who is lawfully using medical marijuana.

Legislation supported by the ACLU would have allowed for certain terminally ill patients to make knowing and competent decisions about death and peacefully determine the end of their lives with dignity, autonomy, and privacy.

This legislation would have allowed for one such critical measure, by extending the right to obtain a driver’s licenses to those who are undocumented.

We testified in support of this bill which would have protected certain “sensitive locations” in the community, such as schools and hospitals, from enforcement actions and arrests by federal immigration agents.

This “equal pay” legislation, supported by the ACLU and many other groups, is essential to not only promote the growth of our state, but to provide economic mobility for women, and women of color in particular, who are already more likely to have lower incomes than virtually any other group.