News & Commentary

Wisconsin's voter ID law was a mistake from the start; a political talking point dressed up as policy, aiming to fix a problem that doesn't exist. And although the law isn't particularly onerous for most people, there are some for whom obtaining the necessary ID is substantially difficult. So difficult that some won't — or won't be able to — go through the hassle of getting one.

By Patrick Marley and Jason Stein of the Journal Sentinel

Appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Advocates for immigrants living in Wisconsin strongly criticized this morning’s Wisconsin Supreme Court decision in the case of State v. Salas Gayton. That decision upheld a sentence imposed on an immigrant that was far longer than sentences normally imposed for similar crimes.

By Ann-Elise Henzl

By Emma Brown

News reports indicate that correctional officers, rather than nurses or other medical staff, have been distributing prescription medications to the children housed at most of the housing units at Lincoln Hills and Copper Lakes schools, resulting in frequent and harmful medication errors.

Statement from Chris Ahmuty, ACLU of Wisconsin Executive Director:  

The ACLU of Wisconsin sent the following letter to Milwaukee County Executive  Chris Abele, Milwaukee County Board Chair Theo Lipscomb & Board Members, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Milwaukee Common Council Pres. Ashanti Hamilton & Council Members, Wauwatosa Mayor Kathleen Ehley, Wauwatosa Council Pres. Cheryl Berdan & Council Members on May 25, 2016: We are writing to express our support for the proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line from downtown Milwaukee to the Medical Complex, the East-West BRT. As you know, the ACLU of Wisconsin has been a long time advocate for more and better public transportation as a matter of environmental justice and transit equity. The East-West BRT is a starting point to make those needed improvements a reality. There are many thousands of jobs at both ends of the proposed route line, and more throughout the route, at locations like the near west side. The East-West BRT will help provide the many persons of color, persons with disabilities, and members of transit-dependent households who live in the route corridor with improved access to those jobs, as well as to education and health care. In addition, the East-West BRT, when properly linked in to other county bus routes, should broaden transit access to these locations for other central city residents. And it will provide a reasonable alternative to East-West highway capacity expansion, a proposal that would otherwise have significant adverse effects on the disproportionate number of persons of color who reside in the corridor. It is our understanding that implementation of the East-West BRT is the first step on what the county plans as a broader BRT system, and that the next leg is intended to traverse more of the central city, increasing the number of persons of color and transit-dependent households who benefit from BRT. We also urge the county to work closely with neighborhood residents - including those in central city neighborhoods - to ensure that they also have input into, and benefit from, any development or redevelopment that occurs along the BRT route. Again, we strongly support the proposed BRT as a matter of environmental and racial justice, and as a step towards building the quality multi-modal public transportation system that our community deserves. Sincerely, Chris Ahmuty Executive Director