News Releases

On May 21, 2013, the ACLU of Washington and a group of concerned organizations called on Governor Jay Inslee to address the rapidly accelerating pace of religious hospital mergers in our state and their impact on patient access to lawful health care services, consistent with best medical practices and patients’ needs or interests and regardless of religious directives. In response, Governor Inslee today announced that he is issuing a directive to the Washington state Department of Health (DOH) to initiate rulemaking to modernize the Certificate of Need (CON) process, which he acknowledged "has not kept current with the changes in the health care delivery system."

Today is a great day for everyone who treasures our country’s basic values of freedom and fairness. The U.S. Supreme Court recognized, as have so many Americans, that all loving, committed couples must be treated equally under law. Now, in the eyes of the federal government, there are no longer any second-class marriages.

A landmark lawsuit to ensure fairness for the accused in Grant County has concluded with major improvements in the county’s felony indigent defense system. The suit wrapped up in April after seven years of court-ordered monitoring – the first time a county public defense system in Washington had undergone such comprehensive oversight. The suit was brought by the ACLU of Washington and Columbia Legal Services.

Today, a group of substance abuse prevention and treatment professionals and public health advocates, in collaboration with the ACLU of Washington, submitted comments addressing the state Liquor Control Board’s initial draft rules for Initiative 502. 

Today, a group of leaders from Washington’s ethnic and racial communities, in collaboration with the ACLU of Washington, submitted comments addressing the state Liquor Control Board’s initial draft rules for Initiative 502.

A class-action lawsuit is challenging a public defense system that deprives indigent persons of their constitutional right to assistance of counsel. The suit says that Mt. Vernon and Burlington are not meeting their duty to ensure that low-income individuals have a fair chance to defend themselves in court. A two-week trial has wrapped up, and the judge is expected to rule later this summer.

The ACLU today filed a lawsuit on behalf of a gay couple in Kennewick against a florist that refused to sell them flowers because of their sexual orientation.  When a business serves the general public, the business owner’s personal religious beliefs cannot serve as a justification for discriminating against customers.

A florist in Richland discriminated against a gay couple by refusing to sell them flowers because of the owner’s religious beliefs. The business’ refusal to sell flowers to the couple violates the Washington Law Against Discrimination. ACLU of Washington is representing the couple in seeking remedies.

A Kent woman unfairly denied rental housing is suing the tenant screening company that recommended she be denied housing because of a two-decade-old criminal conviction. It violates the Washington Fair Credit Reporting Act for tenant screeners to report criminal history information older than seven years. Everyone deserves a fair chance at a fresh start.

A study released by the University of Washington today offers detailed analysis of the impacts of King County Jail’s collaboration in the immigration enforcement policies and practices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a division of the Department of Homeland Security.