09.08.14
Back to the Source: The ACLU Presents Constitution Day
By Steve David
Whether working in the courts, the legislature, or in the community, the task of protecting civil liberties takes on many different forms. While the ACLU uses diverse strategies to secure people’s freedoms, many of these fundamental rights are based in a common source: the Constitution of the United States. In 2004, Congress passed a law… more »
Tags: Constitution Day
09.06.14
What Is Shackling?
By Shakyra Diaz
This is the first in a series of posts on the topic of juvenile shackling. ‘Shackling has made me feel like an animal, and it makes me feel like I can’t express myself. It is a distraction to me because rather than focusing on what I have to say, I’m focused on what other people… more »
09.03.14
From Tinker Test to Tinker Tour
By Kate Strickland
“It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” -Justice Abe Fortas Mary Beth Tinker has continued to advocate for students’ First Amendment rights since she was the lead plaintiff in the 1969 landmark U.S. Supreme Court case. Though the… more »
Tags: Free Speech, Student Rights
09.03.14
Check Your Mail Ohio
By Steve David
Last Friday, Secretary of State Jon Husted mailed absentee ballot applications to all registered Ohio voters. This puts ballots in reach for millions of Ohioans who choose to vote by mail each election. Access to vote by mail was not easily won. In August of 2011, Secretary of State Jon Husted issued a directive preventing… more »
Tags: Let Me Vote, Voting Rights
08.29.14
What happened when hundreds of prisoners in Youngstown staged a 14-hour uprising?
By Tim Cable
Well, since it happened at a private prison, it’s hard to know – privately-run prisons lack the transparency required at state-run facilities. During the incident and the days following the uprising, Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), the for-profit company that runs the prison, kept its lips sealed. Defying its agreement with the city, CCA did… more »
08.28.14
Lights, Camera, and Action! The Puffin Collaborative Film Festival Begins Soon
By Steve David
The lights fade out, and the audience falls silent. There is something about great movies that is hard to describe, but impossible to ignore. The images, sounds and the darkness of the theater create a feeling that grabs you and says, “Pay attention, this is important.” The Puffin Collaborative Film Festival (PCFF) is built around… more »
Tags: PCFF
08.27.14
Standing Between You & Your Rights: Is This Really Good Government? (Part Three)
By Adrienne Gavula
Part Three – Politics Over Health: Following an accidental approval of Women’s Med Center that was quickly rescinded, state leaders launched an internal investigation that lead to firings and retirements. Roy Croy, one of those retired health department chiefs, said, “Someone had to pay…politics are politics.” The state investigation revealed that the Ohio Department of… more »
08.27.14
20,000 Ohioans Pledge Support for Marriage Equality
By Lisa Wurm
The campaign for marriage equality reached an exciting milestone on August 26th by gathering 20,000 pledge cards signed by Ohioans from every county across the state. Why Marriage Matters Ohio (WMMO) had set this goal to be reached by the end of 2014 and has already surpassed it 4 months ahead of schedule. The list… more »
Tags: LGBT Rights, Marriage Equality
08.26.14
Upcoming Likover Memorial Lecture Explores Religious Liberty After Greece v. Galloway
By Doug Torok
Save October 12, 2014 on your calendar to learn what religious liberty means post-Greece v. Galloway. Join in the conversation with ACLU of Ohio Staff Attorney Drew Dennis as he discusses the current state of religious liberty with plaintiff Susan Galloway and her choice to speak out against official prayer at public meetings. What triggered… more »
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08.26.14
Standing Between You & Your Rights: Is This Really Good Government? (Part Two)
By Adrienne Gavula
Part Two – Losing Access: The law does allow clinics to be granted an exception (known as a variance) to the transfer agreement requirement if they can prove that an alternative plan is in place for emergencies. However, HB59 also gave the Ohio Department of Health director wider scope to deny these exceptions than was… more »