Legislation

This spring, the ACLU testified in support of important legislation which would recognize the importance of encouraging student journalism and guaranteeing to students certain basic rights to freedom of the press.

Legislation introduced will require that a minor have a parent or guardian present during questioning by law enforcement.

This legislation, opposed by the ACLU, would have allowed Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to attest to a patient’s mental health condition and participate in certifying patients for mandated outpatient treatment, something that only doctors can do presently.

For years, the ACLU has been objecting to the procedures used by the Vehicle Value Commission in deciding the value of cars for tax purposes.

Under current state law, sex offenders are classified based on a variety of factors and risk assessment evaluations. This bill would classify the offender’s risk based solely on the offense for which he or she was convicted.

These two pieces of legislation try to cover up their real motive behind a supposed “protection” for unborn children. Nevertheless, in reality both bills aim to undermine reproductive rights, threaten physicians, and enshrine into law the concept of “fetal personhood".

This legislation was introduced in response to a recent RI Supreme Court decision narrowly interpreting the state’s Fair Employment Practices Act, which concluded that state law does not provide for individual liability against an employee who engages in discriminatory conduct in the workplace.

While the ACLU does not take issue with efforts to restrict the types of weapons available for purchase, we do believe that attempts to regulate the possession of firearms can sometimes implicate other constitutional rights.

In February 2016, the ACLU published a report called “Hidden Agenda” in which we took a close look at compliance of agencies with the Open Meetings Act requirement to publicly post their agendas at least 48 hours in advance of the date of their meetings.