News & Commentary

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear any of the marriage equality cases before the justices, including one from Wisconsin, which will result in a massive expansion of opportunities for same-sex couples to legally marry.

Sun Prairie -- Speaking to reporters after a campaign event at a farm here, GOP Gov. Scott Walker said the state was abandoning its fight to keep its same-sex marriage ban. 

The following letter was sent to the Milwaukee Common Council regarding the Public Safety Committee Agenda Item on the prosecution of individuals for marijuana possession.

Written by The Wisconsin Gazette Tuesday, 30 September 2014 09:00

The following letter was sent to the Milwaukee Common Council regarding the Public Safety Committee Agenda Item on the Milwaukee Police Department's intent to pilot a program of using police officer body-worn cameras.

Significant racial disparities exist in marijuana enforcement in the City of Milwaukee.  In 2011, African Americans were over five times more likely to get arrested than white people, despite similar rates of usage.  Even as the total number of arrests decreased slightly from 2010 to 2011, the disparity of Black vs. white arrests increased.  Criminal record for simple possession creates a lifetime of collateral damage.  The punishment should fit the crime.

By Zoe Sullivan

Ben Wizner is the Director of ACLU’s Speech, Privacy & Technology Project, which is dedicated to protecting and expanding the First Amendment freedoms of expression, association, and inquiry; expanding the right to privacy and increasing the control that individuals have over their personal information; and ensuring that civil liberties are enhanced rather than compromised by new advances in science and technology. He has litigated numerous cases involving post-9/11 civil liberties abuses, including challenges to airport security policies, government watchlists, extraordinary rendition, and torture. He has appeared regularly in the media, testified before Congress, and traveled several times to Guantanamo Bay to monitor military commission proceedings.

"Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants." "Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman." "Captain Underpants and the Farty Fight for Free Speech." Okay fine, I made up the last one. The silly titles of the "Captain Underpants" series lined our bookshelf at home, thanks to my younger brother. As his wiser and worldlier older sister, I wanted nothing to do with such absurdity. It seems some older people, however, have taken greater offense to Dav Pilkey's children's books, their paranoia almost more farcical than the titles themsel