News & Commentary

The new session of the Wisconsin Legislature has barely begun and legislators are pushing a bill that will require all voters to present a government-issued photo ID every time they go to the polls. The bill (Senate Bill 6 - PDF) will be heard by the Senate Committee on Transportation and Elections Jan. 26. The ACLU has opposed these deeply flawed laws in other states. But the law as proposed in Wisconsin is the worst and most restrictive we've ever seen. To deny potentially thousands of voters the right to freely cast a ballot to fix a non-existent problem is unconscionable in a free society. While proponents of this bill say it will fix vote fraud, the state Senate Committee on Transportation and Elections will hear from voters and advocates who will testify on why the plan will have a discriminatory impact on minorities and will be a costly and ineffective attempt to prevent fraud.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin applauds the Belleville School District in their unanimous decision to keep a challenged book in the ninth grade English curriculum. The school board demonstrated patience and courage to recognize the importance of both due process and the need for relevant and contemporary literature in the classroom. Over 200 community members attended the hearing: the majority wore green "Keep the Book" stickers in a show of support.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin applauds the Belleville School District in their unanimous decision to keep a challenged book in the ninth grade English curriculum. The school board demonstrated patience and courage to recognize the importance of both due process and the need for relevant and contemporary literature in the classroom. Over 200 community members attended the hearing: the majority wore green "Keep the Book" stickers in a show of support.

While it is clear that too many Madison schools fail too many children, especially children of color, segregating students and perpetuating gender stereotypes will not turn a struggling educational system around. Every child deserves to be educated in a safe, challenging, and respectful environment where harmful stereotypes are not used to limit opportunities and diminish individual achievements. Providing an IB school available to underserved girls as well as boys could well be a step in the right direction. Providing that opportunity only to boys, in a segregated environment, would move education backwards – likely in violation of federal and state laws and the Constitution.

The ACLU of Wisconsin joined over 100 community members and organizations at a hearing held by the state Department of Natural Resources regarding the We Energies Valley Coal Plant in Milwaukee. The coal plant needs a renewal of an air quality control permit but the ACLU of Wisconsin opposed the renewal and said that it would be a violation of civil rights and environmental laws. While upgrades in suburban energy facilities have greatly reduced air pollution, the Valley Coal Plant in the high-density, urban Milwaukee area continues to pollute the air and impact the public health of mostly African-American and Latino neighborhoods. People attended the hearing to say that everyone has an equal right to breathe clean air, not just those who live in predominantly white neighborhoods.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a motion before a Dane County circuit court today on behalf of five couples asking that they be allowed to participate in a lawsuit seeking to overturn Wisconsin’s law granting limited domestic partnership protections to same-sex couples, so that they may defend the law. The law is being challenged by an anti-gay organization that contends that the law grants same-sex couples the same status as marriage, which is barred by the Wisconsin Constitution.

The City of Greenfield Common Council approved a ordinance in April that puts the civil liberties of sellers of books and CDs to resale shops in jeopardy. While it may be well-intentioned, Greenfield's ordinance threatens the privacy rights of anyone trying to sell a long list of used items, including books and CDs, at commercial, resale establishments.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin would like to send three cheers to the Merrill school board and the Mauston’s school district’s Human Growth and Development Advisory Committee for affirming that fact-based, comprehensive sexuality education should be taught in their local classrooms. The Merrill school board and Mauston’s board committee made decisions that will help young people in their district get the information and life skills they need to make healthy choices throughout their lives.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin would like to send three cheers to the Merrill school board and the Mauston’s school district’s Human Growth and Development Advisory Committee for affirming that fact-based, comprehensive sexuality education should be taught in their local classrooms. The Merrill school board and Mauston’s board committee made decisions that will help young people in their district get the information and life skills they need to make healthy choices throughout their lives.