The American Civil Liberties Union is developing a legal strategy to counter former President Donald Trump in the event he returns to the White House.
ACLU of Rhode Island
Posted inPolitical Roundtable, Politics
RI ACLU’s Steve Brown on police accountability, open records and the 2024 General Assembly session
Many of the hundreds of bills passed by the Rhode Island General Assembly each year raise issues involving civil liberties. That’s why Rhode Island ACLU executive director Steve Brown pays close attention to the legislature. As is often the case, the results from Smith Hill this year are something of a mixed bag. Lawmakers approved the first significant overhaul since 1976 of the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights, or LEOBOR. But an attempt to update the law governing open records, the Access to Public Records Act, fell flat in the face of opposition from state government. So how did lawmakers do in conducting the public’s business? What would it take to make the General Assembly more accountable to the public it serves? And how is the outlook for the rule of law when millions of Americans dispute the winner of the 2020 presidential race? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with the head of the Rhode Island ACLU, Steve Brown.
Posted inNPR
ACLU sues Biden administration over new executive action on the southern border
President Biden is using new executive actions to block migrants from seeking asylum at the southern border. The ACLU says this goes against U.S. asylum laws.
Posted inArticle, Local, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
ACLU represents beach access advocate sued by Weekapaug Fire District
The Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union is defending a Westerly resident and beach access advocate being sued by the Weekapaug Fire District for advocating that the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council designate a public right-of-way to the Quonochontaug Barrier Beach. The ACLU is working with former Rhode Island Assistant Attorney […]
Posted inLocal, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
ACLU says fire district letters to shoreline access donors could threaten free speech
The Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union is asking the Weekapaug Fire District to stop notifying shoreline access advocates that they may be called to testify in an ongoing legal matter because they donated to a GoFundMe campaign meant to support opening up public beach access in that case. In a Dec. […]
Posted inArticle, Business, Education, Politics
How will Supreme Court rulings on affirmative action, LGBTQ protections affect Rhode Island?
Steven Brown of the Rhode Island ACLU on two of the several big decisions made this week by the country’s highest court.
Posted inEpisode, Political Roundtable
Political Roundtable: Brown On Trump’s Immigration Policies & How Civil Liberties Fared In The General Assembly
Steven Brown, executive director of the Rhode Island ACLU, joins Political Roundtable to discuss how civil liberties fared in the recent legislative session, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence’s release of a list of priests and deacons credibly accused of sexual abuse; and the legal outlook on challenging the Trump administration’s approach to immigration.
Posted inEpisode, Political Roundtable
Bonus Q&A: Brown On Privacy, Marijuana Legalization, Education & More
Rhode Island ACLU Executive Director Steven Brown joins Bonus Q&A to discuss privacy rights, marijuana legalization, whether Rhode Island students would benefit from a Constitutional right to an education and other topics related to civil liberties.
Posted inArts And Culture, Artscape, Episode
Artscape: What Type Of Book Gets A Tax Break?
Artists, musicians and authors can sell their works in Rhode Island without collecting sales tax, but when it comes to books, the state seems to be making an odd distinction.
Posted inArticle, Politics
RI Judge Rules: Further Hearing Needed In Public Records Case
The Pawtucket Police Department is not required to release internal misconduct reports to a government watchdog group, pending further hearings, a Rhode Island judge ruled Monday.