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Washington's War on Marijuana: Racial Disparity Getting Worse

Mark Cooke, ACLU-WA Drug Policy Advocate
Nov 2, 2012
A recent report prepared by the Marijuana Arrest Research Project sheds light on the tremendous amount of resources Washington State has devoted to marijuana law enforcement over the last 25 years. There have been over 240,000 arrests for adult marijuana possession, consuming over $300 million in taxpayer money, since 1986. And people of color are the more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession in Washington state.

Disturbingly, racially disproportionate enforcement is getting worse. Using data from the Marijuana Arrest Research Project report, the ACLU of Washington has produced an infographic that visualizes this increasing disparity, Read More »
 

Democracy at Work in Shelters and Food Banks

Molly Matter, Seattle University School of Law student
Oct 31, 2012
Marginalized people need to know that they have the right to vote. To that end, I was recently one of a small group of thoughtful, committed Seattle University law students who helped people in local homeless shelters and food banks participate in the democratic process. Read More »
 
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The ACLU of Washington Goes Purple for LGBT Youth

Linda Mangel, Education Equity Director
Oct 19, 2012
Today is Spirit Day when people across the country wear purple as a sign of support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth and to speak out against bullying.   Read More »
 
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Ballot Initiatives - Approve Ref 74

The Freedom to Marry Hits the Airwaves

Jill Barkley, ACLU of Maine & Meredith Curtis, ACLU of Maryland & Dean Jackson, ACLU of Washington & Jana Kooren, ACLU of Minnesota
Oct 16, 2012
Two weeks ago we brought you news about the four states that have marriage-related ballot initiativesthis fall. As the election quickly approaches, each of the campaigns in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington have begun running television ads that highlight the stories of individuals, religious leaders, and community leaders who support the freedom to marry. These ads show the underlying issue at stake this fall – that marriage, both for straight and gay couples, is about building a life with someone and making a commitment to take care of and love one another. Read More »
 
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I-502

Support for I-502 Is Busting Out All Over

Doug Honig, Communications Director, ACLU of Washington
Oct 4, 2012
“GOP Senate hopeful latest to endorse legal pot” proclaimed an Associated Press report carried by media statewide yesterday.  It came after Michael Baumgartner, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate who is a state senator from Spokane, announced that he is supporting Initiative 502 – citing his experience as an advisor to a counternarcotics team in Afghanistan. Read More »
 

Free Speech Means Protecting Controversial Speech

Kathleen Taylor, Executive Director
Oct 2, 2012
A vibrant democratic society prizes freedom of speech. Its government does not try to protect the public from messages that some people find offensive or disturbing. President Obama asserted this principle before the United Nations General Assembly saying, "…in a diverse society, efforts to restrict speech can quickly become a tool to silence critics and oppress minorities.” Read More »
 
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Approve R74

The 2012 Freedom to Marry Ballot Initiatives: On the Ground in Four Key States

Jill Barkley, ACLU of Maine & Meredith Curtis, ACLU of Maryland & Dean Jackson, ACLU of Washington & Jana Kooren, ACLU of Minnesota
Oct 1, 2012
Marriage for same-sex couples is on the ballot in four states this November, and it will be a pivotal moment for the LGBT movement. In Maine, Maryland and Washington voters have the opportunity to expand the freedom to marry to same-sex couples; and Minnesota voters could make that state the first ever to defeat a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman.  Even a single ballot box win would change the national debate and would reinforce the polls showing growing majorities across the country that support marriage for committed same-sex couples. Read More »
 
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National Voter Registration Day

Rights on the Line: Will Your Voice Be Heard?

Brian Robick, Director of IT & Online Communications, Senior Policy Strategist, ACLU of Washington
Sep 25, 2012
Are you ready to make a difference?  This fall, Washington voters will fill out ballots that decide who will lead our country and our state.  They will speak out on legalizing, taxing, and regulating marijuana.  They will determine who can marry the person that they love.  In other words, your civil liberties and those of everyone in the state are on the line.  Will your voice be heard?  Read More »
 
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Voting Rights

Help Us Spread the Word about Voting Rights

Eric Nygren, ACLU-WA Legal Intake Manager
Sep 10, 2012
The ACLU is working on educating Washington citizens about who is eligible to vote and how one can register to vote.  You can help: Take our voting rights quiz and share it with others. Read More »
 
One Big Union

The Union of Civil Liberties and Labor

Doug Honig, Communications Director, ACLU of Washington
Aug 31, 2012
Labor issues were much on the minds of the small group of people who began meeting in Seattle in 1920 to discuss civil liberties violations in Washington state. After all, this was the year after the famous (or infamous, depending on one’s politics) five-day Seattle General Strike, the first general strike by labor unions in an American city. Read More »