News & Commentary
Nov 11, 2021
Groups Applaud CVS for Withdrawing U.S. Supreme Court Petition that Threatened the Rights of Individuals with Disabilities
The ACLU of Rhode Island and Disability Rights Rhode Island today applauded CVS for withdrawing its petition in a pending U.S. Supreme Court case that the groups said could have turned back decades of national progress promoting the cause of disability rights.
Aug 10, 2020
Groups Respond to GOP Appeal of Mail Ballot Case to U.S. Supreme Court
Statements from voting rights groups about GOP appeal of mail ballot case to SCOTUS.
Aug 07, 2020
Appeals Court Affirms Suspending Voting Requirement that Risks the Health of Voters
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has unanimously upheld implementation of a consent agreement that suspends RI’s witness/notary requirements for voting by mail in the September and November 2020 elections.
Jul 22, 2020
Groups Challenge State Vote-by-Mail Requirements that Risk the Health of Voters
A federal lawsuit has been filed challenging Rhode Island’s witness/notary requirements for voting by mail in 2020 elections.
Jul 20, 2020
Groups Applaud Dept of Ed Guidance on Providing Services to Students with Special Needs
In response to concerns that remote learning was causing educational harm, in violation of laws that protect students with disabilities, Education Commissioner Infante-Green issued guidance to districts confirming their obligation to provide in-person services to those students.
Jun 30, 2020
Voting Rights Organizations Urge Immediate Action to Safeguard Voters’ Health in the Fall
With only 10 weeks until Rhode Island’s September 8 primary, 16 organizations concerned about voting rights are urging state officials to take “immediate executive actions” to fix voting problems experienced on June 2.
Oct 25, 2019
Class Action Suit Charges RI Dept of Corrections with “Inhumane” Rights Violations
Disability Rights Rhode Island (DRRI, formerly the R.I. Disability Law Center) and attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union National Prison Project (ACLU) and its Rhode Island Affiliate (ACLU-RI), today filed a federal class action lawsuit against the R.I. Department of Corrections (RIDOC) alleging multiple constitutional violations of the rights of prisoners with serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI).
Oct 09, 2019
ACLU in Court Thursday, October 10, to Secure Warrant Protections for Private Health Information
The ACLU will be in court on Thursday, October 10, 2019 at 9:30am to argue that the federal government must obtain a warrant before accessing the private health information in New Hampshire’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). The hearing will be held in Boston before the First Circuit Court of Appeals.
Jul 02, 2019
ACLU Settles Lawsuit Over Smithfield Anti-Medical Marijuana Ordinance
The ACLU of Rhode Island today announced the favorable settlement of a lawsuit it filed two years ago against a Smithfield ordinance that the ACLU argued was an attempt to undermine the state’s medical marijuana law by imposing significant burdens on patients’ access to treatment. Under the settlement agreement, the Town has agreed to repeal the ordinance and pay $30,000 in attorneys’ fees.
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