News & Commentary

Those who took part in the rampage at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 attacked more than a building that belongs to us all. They attacked an ideal that belongs to us all: government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

As one of the most difficult years in American history comes to a close, we want to take a moment to extend our most sincere thanks to all of you for sticking with us and remaining committed to the fight for justice and equality in Wisconsin. 

MILWAUKEE - The ACLU of Wisconsin today announced that former Wisconsin public school teacher turned attorney Elisabeth Lambert has joined its staff as an Equal Justice Work Fellow. The fellowship lasts for the next two years.

By: Somil Trivedi, Senior Staff Attorney of ACLU

As the Democratic National Convention concludes, the nation’s focus came to not only the City of Milwaukee, but also Wisconsin, a place where racial segregation, economic inequality and police brutality against people of color has long since been a problem.

As the Democratic National Convention thrusts Milwaukee onto the national stage, America’s reckoning with police violence and racial injustice will be brought to bear on a city marked by profound racial inequality and oppression. During a time in which Americans are being forced to confront how centuries of white supremacy has shaped virtually every aspect of our lives, there may be no better case study for the present-day impact of systemic racism than the City of Milwaukee. 

The Chippewa Valley ACLU Chapter supports educational freedom in controversy over book and in-class discussion of Islam. There is a public forum discussing this issue at 7:00pm at Menomonie High School, on Monday, May 15, 2017.

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  

In recent years, there have been calls by communities at varying distances from the Great Lakes to divert Great Lakes water for drinking (and development) purposes. Under the 2008 Great Lakes Compact ( http://www.greatlakes.org/Document.Doc?id=144 ), Great Lakes water generally must remain within the Great Lakes basin – except that municipalities within counties that straddle the basin can request water. That request, however, can be vetoed by even just ONE governor of one of the Great Lakes states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin).   The first test case is coming from Wau