News & Commentary

The Rhode Island ACLU, along with nine other organizations, submitted written testimony today to the Secretary of State’s Office, urging significant revisions to proposed rules dealing with procedures for the issuance of voter ID cards to people who do not have the requisite photo identification required to vote on Election Day under a new state law.  The testimony pointed out that the proposed rules do not adequately address the specific needs of some of the groups that will be most in need of voter ID cards, including the elderly, people with disabilities, the poor and the transient.

The RI ACLU submitted testimony today objecting to regulations proposed by the RI Public Transportation Authority that would require the elderly and patrons with disabilities to present photo identification in order to obtain a reduced-fare bus pass. Presently, individuals need to only provide written documentation of their age or disability status.

Following up on a detailed report it issued two months ago, the Rhode Island ACLU said today that the latest statistics show that Rhode Island’s civil union law, enacted over the strong protests of the community it was designed to benefit, remains “a fiasco” that highlights the need for passage of true marriage equality legislation.  The newest statistics show that in the first four months since the law took effect, only thirty-nine gay and lesbian couples have taken advantage of the statute to obtain “civil union” status.

The Rhode Island ACLU submitted written testimony to the Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education prior to a work session the Board held yesterday on proposed rules that would affect the public's opportunity to make comments at Board meetings.  At yesterday’s meeting, the Board of Regents specifically discussed aspects of the proposal that would give the chairperson greater discretion on deciding who could speak at the meetings.

Calling it “the latest in the Town’s continuing, and increasingly draconian, actions aimed at students and landlords,” the RI ACLU has urged the Narragansett Town Council to reject passage of an ordinance, scheduled for a final vote on Monday, allowing the Town to recover “police response costs” for responding to alleged “disturbances” in the community.

The ACLU of Rhode Island is offering to the public a free 36-page booklet entitled “Your Rights to Workplace Privacy in Rhode Island.” As its title indicates, the booklet answers commonly-asked questions about employees’ privacy rights in the state.

RI ACLU executive director Steven Brown issued the following statement today in response to news reports that Providence police have used special infra-red technology to determine whether people have been sleeping overnight inside the tents in Burnside Park where the “Occupy Providence” protest is taking place:

The RI ACLU testified yesterday against proposed state Board of Elections' regulations that would bar voters from wearing political buttons or clothing with political messages into polling places.  The ACLU's testimony argued that in addition to raising First Amendment concerns, such a restriction was inconsistent with state law provisions defining improper "electioneering."

Claiming that it violates the Department of Justice’s own standards, the RI ACLU and four other organizations have asked the United States Solicitor General to “halt any further efforts” by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Rhode Island to seek to impose the death penalty on Jason Wayne Pleau. The letter follows actions by that office to appeal a federal court ruling two weeks ago that Governor Lincoln Chafee acted lawfully in refusing to transfer Pleau’s custody to the federal government, which is seeking to prosecute him even though he has already agreed to serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole.