CIVIL RIGHTS POLICIES, ANALYSIS, AND RESOURCES
Latest Civil Rights Posts
Congress Takes Bipartisan Action to Counter Attorney General Jeff Session’s Charging and Sentencing Policy
On May 10, 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions put forth the “Department Charging and Sentencing Policy” for all federal prosecutors. The memorandum instructs all federal prosecutors to [1] charge and pursue the most serious readily provable offense and [2] disclose to the sentencing…
U.S. Census Bureau Announces That It Will Not Include Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity As A Category For Data Collection
Last year, in April 2016, Members of Congress asked the United States Census Bureau to include “sexual orientation and gender identity” as a subject that Americans can be asked to be categorized as in the upcoming 2020 Census. Nearly a year later…
Religious Exemption To Be Used To Discriminate In Texas Adoption Cases
On May 10, 2017, the House of Representatives of the Texas State Legislature approved House Bill 3859, popularly known as “The Freedom To Serve Children Act.” The bill provides a defense for state-funded faith-based private adoption agencies that will insulate them from potential lawsuits for their…
Campaign Finance Issue Hiding Behind President Trump’s Executive Order On Religious Liberty and Free Speech
On May 4, 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty.” Section 2 of the order ensures that the “Department of the Treasury [will] not take any adverse action against any individual, house of worship…
Legal Framework For National Security Agency (NSA) Surveillance & Data Collection on American Citizens
On April 28, 2017, the National Security Agency (NSA) announced that they would “stop certain foreign intelligence collection under Section 702” of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. This law provided the legal basis for the NSA to collect phone…
Senate Bill 823 Against Warrantless and Random Searches of American Citizens Digital Devices At U.S. Border Crossings
On April 4, 2017, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced in the U.S. Congress the “Protecting Data At The Border Act.” The bill is aimed at protecting the privacy rights…
Senate and House of Representatives Joint Resolution Repealing Online Privacy Protections For Customers of A Telecommunications Service Carrier
In the United States Congress, a joint resolution was introduced that seeks to overrule a prior regulation promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). On January 3, 2017, the “Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband…
Separate Criminal Code For Immigrants
In the Florida Legislature, a Senate bill was introduced and recently approved by the Appropriations Subcommittee on Civil & Criminal Justice that proposes that certain crimes committed by unlawfully present aliens in the State of Florida be charged differently from all other persons in the state. Illegal immigrants charged with…
Proposed State Laws That Threaten to Criminalize Protests and Demonstrations
Proposed Legislation from various states Proposed in January/February 2017 Summary Ever since the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump numerous states have introduced bills that have the potential to curb mass protests and demonstrations. The bills aim to toughen...