Stories from the ACLU of Washington

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Access to Health Care Should Not Be Limited by Religious Doctrine

Published: 
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
The health care market in Washington looks very different today than it did a few years ago, and the pace of change will only accelerate as the Affordable Care Act – aka Obamacare – is implemented. One notable phenomenon is a spate of mergers, often involving religious health care corporations taking control of secular health institutions.  Indeed, if all proposed mergers go through this year, nearly half of all hospital beds in Washington will be in religiously affiliated facilities.
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Surveillance: Spokane Acts to Protect Privacy and Provide Transparency

Published: 
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
The Spokane City Council has passed an ordinance that will require Council approval to acquire and use some new surveillance equipment, such as drones and camera networks. We hope that more communities throughout Washington will consider passing similar oversight mechanisms with even stronger provisions and protections.
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ACLU Urges Court to Protect Tenants from Blacklisting

Published: 
Friday, August 16, 2013
A Washington family discovered that even if you win a court case, you can still lose. The ACLU is supporting efforts to do something about the situation.
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Religious Freedom Is for All Americans

Published: 
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
As the final week of Ramadan approaches, it is important to remember that freedom of religion is for all Americans – including those who are incarcerated. And that the ACLU is committed to defending the civil liberties of all Americans
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Fairness for Pregnant and Parenting Students Gets a Boost from the Feds

Published: 
Monday, July 29, 2013
The fight for fairness in education for pregnant and parenting girls recently got a big boost – from the federal government. The U.S. Department of Education took action to make sure these girls are given the same access to education and opportunities as other students.
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State Supreme Court Protects Immigrants

Published: 
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
According to a new note to a Rule of Professional Conduct approved by the Washington Supreme Court recently, attorneys cannot use a person’s immigration status to intimidate, coerce or obstruct that person for reasons unrelated to a civil case.
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ACLU Brief Says Conviction and Capital Sentence Should Be Overturned Because of Racial Bias

Published: 
Thursday, July 18, 2013
The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees every person the right to a fair trial.  However, if the prosecution is making racist remarks and presenting racially-charged evidence throughout the trial, this right is violated.
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"You Are Being Tracked": ACLU Report Finds the Government Knows Where You Are Driving

Published: 
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
A national ACLU report on license plate tracking by law enforcement confirms that the problems we identified locally are reflected in communities throughout the U.S. Our study found that few police departments in Washington place any substantial restrictions on how the location information may be used.
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The ACLU Shows Its Pride!

Published: 
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
The ACLU of Washington staff, volunteers and supporters marched for LGBT rights at the 2013 Trans Pride and Seattle Pride celebrations.  On the heels of the US Supreme Court ruling that overturned the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and a few months after the passage of marriage equality in our state, it should come as no surprise that jubilation filled the air and supporters filled the streets at these events.
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U.S. State Department Gets a Lesson

Published: 
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Last month, Seattle Metro buses were running a disturbing ad.  Funded by the U.S. State Department, the ad featured pictures of 16 men wanted around the globe for terrorist activities.  The pictures of the men, all appearing to be Muslim with turbans, beards, and brown skin, were right below the large, bold message “FACES OF GLOBAL TERRORISM.”
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A Great Day for American Values

Published: 
Friday, June 28, 2013
Today is a great day in America – for loving couples and their families, and for Americans who treasure our country’s basic values of freedom and fairness.   If America is be true to its values, they must be applied equally to everyone.  And that’s what the highest court in the land said today.
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Why the NSA’s gathering of metadata matters

Published: 
Monday, June 17, 2013
Goverment power that operates unchecked behind closed doors is inevitably abused. The recent disclosures about the secret NSA surveillance programs prove this maxim.
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