News & Commentary

Will Warwick take the high road that municipalities like Providence and Newport have done, and reject attempts to enact or enforce punitive anti-panhandling ordinances that seek to "solve" poverty by hiding it from public view? Or will they take the low road, like Cranston, which, after being successfully sued by the ACLU over an ordinance banning "solicitation on roadways," decided to pass a cosmetically revised ordinance last month that will once again be challenged?

In honor of Sunshine Week and open government, here's an example of the absurdities that sometimes result when the public is denied their right to know. A redacted version of our plaintiff's police report from a suit we won in 2008 (presumably the missing section contains highly sensitive information):

The government – at the local, state and federal levels – works for the people. As such, we have a right to know what our officials are up to. In celebration of Sunshine week, let’s ignore (for a brief moment) the cloud of secrecy and obfuscation that currently follows our federal administration, and take a look at a few local victories for open government.

In the wake of the Trump Administration’s repeal of federal guidance that clarified the protections available to transgender students under federal law, fifteen organizations supporting the rights of LGBTQ students have sent a letter to all school district superintendents in the state asking them to “forcefully and publicly reaffirm” their school district’s commitment “to providing a safe, protective and non-discriminatory space” for those students. Saying that the repeal action sent a “troubling message” to transgender youth, the groups called it crucial for superintendents to “urgently counter” it.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island (ACLU) and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice  (NCLEJ) today announced that a settlement agreement has been signed with the state in the federal lawsuit the groups filed in December over the widespread failure of the state Department of Human Services (DHS) to timely provide SNAP food stamp benefits to needy families due to its troubled UHIP computer system. The settlement was reached with the assistance of U.S. District Court Chief Judge William Smith and is subject to the Court’s approval.

The ACLU of Rhode Island issued the following statement in response to Governor Gina Raimondo’s proposed legislation that would bar candidates who owe campaign fines from running for office:

At the end of each General Assembly session, we note that our Affiliate lobbied on literally hundreds of bills during the session.  If you wonder how that could possibly be, we thought it would be useful to pick a relatively quiet day early in the session to give you an idea.

The ACLU of Rhode Island has filed a brief today in Narragansett Municipal Court seeking dismissal of the charges against twelve people and businesses for violating a Town ordinance barring more than four unrelated people from living together. The brief, filed by ACLU of RI volunteer attorney H. Jefferson Melish, argues that the housing restriction, aimed at unruly URI students, is unconstitutional.