ACLU of Maine

LAST CHANCE: Apply now for an opportunity to be at the forefront of the fight for civil rights and liberties in Maine. Learn more about this full-time position and apply now >> ACLUMaine.org/CommunicationsFellowship

The First Amendment doesn't disappear when people take their speech online. In a victory for free speech, the Supreme Court recognized that government attempts to control the editorial decisions of social media companies violate the First Amendment.

Catch up on Moody v. NetChoice and the biggest cases affecting civil rights and civil liberties >> ACLUMaine.org/SupremeCourtReview2024

The Supreme Court wrapped up a radical term earlier this month. They issued decisions to make our presidents more akin to kings, allow cities to punish unhoused people, and imperil what abortion access remains since they overturned Roe.

Catch up on the biggest cases affecting civil rights and civil liberties >> ACLUMaine.org/SupremeCourtReview2024

Our team is growing and we're hiring a communications fellow! Learn more about this full-time position and apply by July 25 >> ACLUMaine.org/Jobs

Hundreds of people are waiting 10 days or more for an attorney after they are charged with a crime. Many are incarcerated in local jails, imprisoned at a time when they are presumed innocent.

When the state chooses to charge a person with a crime, it is the state's responsibility to provide adequate legal representation to people who cannot afford their own attorney. Maine has failed to uphold the people's Sixth Amendment rights – so we sued.

Read the full report, see the latest numbers, and catch up on our lawsuit >> ACLUMaine.org/MainesGrowingCrisis.

We're hiring a communications fellow! This full-time position will help spread the word and engage Maine's people in the fight for a more perfect union.

Learn more and apply by July 25 ⬇️

Communications Fellow Apply by July 25 to join the team protecting and defending the constitutional rights of all people in Maine.

The Supreme Court just wrapped up a radical term, threatening democracy, undermining abortion access, and opening the door for cities to punish people for existing while poor.

Get the rundown on this year’s biggest cases for civil rights and liberties ⬇️

A Radical Supreme Court Term In Review: Democracy, Free Speech, and Abortion on the Line A look back at wins and losses for civil rights and civil liberties during this transformative term.

The Supreme Court has drastically expanded presidential immunity, making our presidents more akin to kings than public servants. A president who knows they can commit crimes with impunity is dangerous – no matter who is in charge.

Tell Congress: We need a constitutional amendment reestablishing criminal accountability for the president NOW. Add your name ⬇️

Tell Congress: America Elects Presidents, Not Kings The Supreme Court declared that criminal law doesn’t apply when you’re Donald Trump or any other president using the powers of the office. Demand a constitutional amendment now.

Housing is a deep and abiding human need, and ignoring the issue causes grave harm to our communities. Despite the Supreme Court's cruel ruling, our state and local leaders still have a choice. Instead of attempting to punish people out of poverty, they must address the root causes, ensuring access to shelter, health care, and education for all in need.

Read more from our executive director, Molly Curren Rowles ⬇️

Solving homelessness demands a human response, not crime and punishment • Maine Morning Star Home is both a physical place and a concept. In the popular imagination, home is a refuge, a shelter, a place of safety and belonging. It is where we come from and where we return. We fill our homes with the things most precious to us, surrounding ourselves with the sights of beloved possessions, th...

The Supreme Court has effectively placed former president Donald Trump above the law. The court granted immunity from criminal prosecution for much of Trump's actions attempting to overturn a free and fair election that he lost.

Our democracy and our freedom depend on the people's ability to hold public officials accountable – no matter who is in charge.

Read more >> tinyurl.com/25x6fcun

Our leaders “still have a choice,” said ACLU of Maine Executive Director Molly Curren Rowles. “They can either continue attempting — and failing — to punish people out of poverty or they can address the root causes of homelessness by increasing access to health care, education, and jobs.”

‘Open season on anyone with a tent’: Maine advocates react to Supreme Court homelessness ruling • Maine Morning Star The ACLU of Maine is urging local communities not to punish unhoused people for trying to survive after the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday upheld an Oregon city’s ordinance that bans sleeping and camping on municipal property. In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority decided that...

When the state chooses to charge a person with a crime, it is the state's responsibility to provide an attorney to people who cannot afford their own.

Maine is failing to uphold the Sixth Amendment, so we sued. See the latest updates >> ACLUMaine.org/MainesGrowingCrisis.

The unfortunate truth is that so many of us are just one bad circumstance away from losing our homes and finding ourselves in a very similar position to the hundreds of thousands of people forced to sleep outside each night.

We cannot ticket, fine, and jail people out of poverty. We must address the root causes of homelessness by increasing access to housing, health care, education, and jobs.

Read more about this ruling at >> ACLUMaine.org/GrantsPassDecision.

Our leaders still have a choice. Just because the court says cities can, does not mean they should. They can either continue trying to punish people out of poverty, or they can address the root causes of homelessness by increasing access to health care, education, and jobs.

Despite this ruling, unhoused people still have rights under state and federal law, including due process, freedom from discrimination, and the right against unreasonable search and seizure.

We cannot arrest our way out of homelessness, and we will continue fighting policies that treat unhoused people as criminals.

Read more at ACLUMaine.org/GrantsPassDecision

Meet our new executive director, Molly Curren Rowles! In her own words, the fight to create a more perfect union is constant – whether we are in a time of crisis or a time of comfort, we cannot sit back and let our guard down.

Read Molly's full letter >> ACLUMaine.org/ContinuingTheFight

Today, we’re honoring Edie Windsor and Jim Obergefell – the plaintiffs behind two landmark Supreme Court cases that affirmed the freedom to marry for LGBTQ people.

These victories are part of our fight for equality spanning over 85 years – and we will never let up.

As a record number of anti-LGBTQ laws are introduced across the country, we’re with you, and we’ll never stop fighting alongside you.

The Supreme Court is set to decide the biggest homelessness case in 40 years. What's at stake in Grants Pass is whether cities can punish people for things like sleeping outside with a pillow or blanket – even when there are no safe or accessible shelter options.

No matter what the court decides, our state and local leaders will still have a choice. They can either continue attempting – and failing – to punish people out of poverty, or they can address the root causes of homelessness by increasing access to housing, health care, education, and jobs.

Read more about this case at ACLUMaine.org/GrantsPassvJohnson

Bangor joins many US cities with ordinances that chill free speech and are designed to push unhoused residents out of public view. Many have been blocked in state and federal courts, including a Portland ordinance passed in 2013.

Maine cannot punish its way out of the growing housing and homelessness crisis. Our elected leaders must address the root causes: access to housing, health care, jobs, and education.

Read more from The Bangor Daily News >> tinyurl.com/4cdxsm3v

Portland Pride ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎

FRIDAY: Join us for 'Lessons in Hard History' with Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries and a panel discussion on efforts to teach Wabanaki and African American studies in Maine schools.

Dr. Jeffries will explore America’s distaste for Hard History and preference for nostalgia. He will also highlight critical lessons about racism and democracy that can be learned from confronting Hard History directly. The panel will feature Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross, Portland Public Schools, the Department of Education, and the ACLU of Maine.

Dr. Jeffries is an African American History scholar and professor at The Ohio State University. He is also a board member at .

REGISTER for free at link in bio or by visiting ACLUMaine.org/Events.

The Supreme Court ruled that the organization challenging the FDA’s approval of mifepristone did not have the right to do so. Today’s ruling is a victory for abortion access, but the fight is not over to protect access in Maine and restore access in other states.

We won’t stop fighting – because the government should never have the authority to force a person to remain pregnant against their will.

Read more about this case >> tinyurl.com/p6yupckc

On this day in 1967, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in favor of the ACLU's clients, Mildred and Richard Loving. Our victory in this case overturned bans on in*******al marriage nationwide, deeming those bans unconstitutional.

Today we celebrate Mildred and Richard and everyone who fought for this right to be recognized.

The Wabanaki Alliance has released our Media and Style Guide! This guide’s purpose is to help the media and anyone else writing about Wabanaki issues to do so in a respectful and informed way. It’s an excellent resource, located on our website here: https://www.wabanakialliance.com/style-guide/

We’re pleased to see multiple articles already responding positively to the recent release of the Wabanaki Alliance Media and Style Guide:

The Bangor Daily News published a piece entitled “They’re not ‘Maine’s tribes’: A new guide for writing about the Wabanaki Nations”: https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/06/08/state/new-guide-writing-about-wabanaki-nations-joam40zk0w/

News Center Maine published a story entitled “People of Wabanaki Nations stress proper representation, importance of language”:
https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/community/people-of-wabanaki-nations-stress-importance-language-proper-representation-maine/97-6163bbbf-1e76-4ed5-b9c3-b5252af230b2

We encourage you to read these articles to learn more!

Despite overwhelming community opposition, a Midcoast school board voted to reverse protections for trans students.

Students still have rights under state and federal law, including the right to use the bathroom consistent with their gender identity.

Know your rights >> ACLUMaine.org/BackToSchool

Union area school board repeals transgender protection policy after marathon meeting UNION — The Regional School Unit 40 Board voted early Friday morning June 7 to eliminate a policy that protects the rights of transgender students.

A midcoast school board is considering rolling back protections for transgender students. If they move forward, their vote will only tell students they are not welcome and confuse guidance for teachers and staff.

No matter what they decide, LGBTQ students have rights under state and federal law. To Maine students: you belong just as you are.

Know your rights >> ACLUMaine.org/BackToSchool

Maine school district divided over ending transgender protections School board members who opposed the policy suggested that it undermines families and isn’t necessary.

Bangor's council is considering a proposal to chill free speech and target unhoused people under the guise of public safety. Free speech is free speech, whether you're asking someone for a quarter or asking them for their vote.

❌ Banning people from public spaces restricts free expression
🚧 Existing laws prevent safety hazards and activities that obstruct roads and sidewalks
⚖️ Numerous courts have reversed similar policies in other cities, including Portland
💰 Cities throughout the country have spent thousands of taxpayer dollars defending these unconstitutional policies in court, only to lose

Bangor Loitering Ban Violates First Amendment A proposed ordinance before the Bangor City Council would restrict free speech under the guise of public safety.

Today's Portland Press Herald opinion cover: The Supreme Court is set to decide the biggest case in decades on unhoused people's rights. Maine resident Brian Arborio was there.

Read about his experience in DC, surviving without shelter in Maine, and how our elected leaders must support and respect all people equally under the law >> https://www.pressherald.com/2024/06/02/opinion-without-alternative-shelter-sleeping-in-public-is-a-life-sustaining-act/

NEW: The number of people denied their right to an attorney in Maine continues to rise. See the latest data and our expanded lawsuit to hold the state accountable.

The Sixth Amendment right to counsel is a guarantee – not a privilege for those who can pay.

A Growing Crisis: The Right to Counsel Denied in Maine Maine is failing to provide legal representation to hundreds of people facing criminal charges who cannot afford their own attorney. This violates their Sixth Amendment right to counsel, undermines the presumption of innocence, and upends lives.

BREAKING: In a win for disability rights, the US Supreme Court just rejected a Maine case that could have dismantled part of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In the case, a Maine-based hotel argued for changes that would have made it nearly impossible to enforce the ADA. This would have opened the door for even more widespread discrimination against people with disabilities and threatened other civil rights laws.

We joined a brief led by The Legal Defense Fund arguing that businesses must ensure all people can participate in public life – just as federal law demands.

Read more about the case at ACLUMaine.org/Acheson.