ACLU hires Gastañaga as new ED
The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia today announced that it has hired Claire Guthrie Gastañaga to succeed executive director Kent Willis, who last week announced he was leaving after 25 years with the organization. Gastañaga is scheduled to start at the beginning of June.
“Claire brings to the ACLU a huge network of people throughout Virginia who share our commitment to equality and civil liberties,” said Jayne Barnard, President of the ACLU of Virginia Board of Directors. “What’s more, her talents are endless – she’s been a lawyer, lobbyist, administrator, writer, and fundraiser. And, though she has not yet stepped through the door, she’s already thinking of ways to expand the ACLU’s footprint in Virginia. The Board looks forward to working with her – we’ll accomplish a lot together.” Read more
Critics blast McDonnell administration over weekend arrests
The ACLU of Virginia is offering to assist reproductive rights protestors who were arrested Saturday at the state Capitol, if their constitutional right to free speech was violated.
Approximately 1,000 demonstrators converged on the Capitol grounds to protest the passage of a bill to require pregnant women to undergo an ultrasound procedure prior to being allowed to have an abortion. Although organizers of the event had obtained a permit to use the areas near the Bell Tower in one corner of the Capitol grounds, some protestors proceeded to sit on the steps of the Capitol Building. Read more
House subcommittee votes to remove abortion funding for low-income women
A House Health, Welfare and Institutions subcommittee voted on Thursday in favor of House Bill 62, which repeals current Virginia law providing state funding for an abortion to low-income women when a doctor believes and certifies that the fetus would be born with a gross and totally incapacitating physical deformity or mental deficiency.
“Today’s vote is both shameful and callous,” said Katherine Greenier, Director of the Patricia M. Arnold Women’s Rights Project at the ACLU of Virginia. “HB 62 denies low-income women access to safe care for no other reason than their poverty. No woman plans to have an abortion, but if she needs one, every woman deserves the opportunity to make the best decision for her circumstances. Women and their families should have access to safe and affordable health services, especially in a medical crisis.” Read more
Supreme Court prohibits warrantless use of GPS tracking devices
In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court today ruled that police may not place GPS tracking devices on the cars of citizens with first obtaining a warrant.
“When this often divided Supreme Court can come together and agree on such an important decision about protecting individual privacy, that’s cause for celebration,” said Kent Willis, Executive Director of the ACLU of Virginia.
“Advances in technologies that invade individual privacy are constantly testing the Constitution,” added Willis. “Not only do we need the Supreme Court to reaffirm the meaning of the Fourth Amendment, but state legislators should be stepping forward to create laws to protect, not diminish, privacy rights. Read more
Federal judge says state ballot-access law likely unconstitutional
A Richmond federal judge wrote today that the Virginia law requiring that persons who circulate petitions for primary candidates be state residents is likely to be held unconstitutional. The law was challenged by Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry and three other candidates who were excluded from the Virginia Republican primary ballot when they did not collect the requisite number of signatures from voters.
The ACLU of Virginia filed a brief in court in support of Perry, arguing that the state violated his First Amendment rights when it prohibited him using from out-of-state petition circulators to gather the signatures required for ballot access. Read more
ACLU weighs in on GOP primary loyalty oath issue
The ACLU of Virginia on Thursday sent a letter to leaders of the Virginia Republican Party asking them to drop a requirement that voters in the upcoming primary sign a pledge to support the Party’s nominee in this year’s presidential elections. If the requirement is not removed, the ACLU is prepared to file a lawsuit in federal court.
“The ACLU respects the associational rights of political parties to establish their own rules for membership and participation, but this is a primary organized, operated and funded by the government,” said ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Kent Willis, “and the government cannot require voters to pledge support for a particular candidate.” Read more
Kent Willis: New voter ID law and voting felons are unconnected but not unrelated issues
Posted by afp on April 18, 2012 · Leave a Comment
The emerging law – which is still being tweaked by the governor and lawmakers – requires voters who do not have proof of identification when they show up at the polls to cast a provisional ballot. It replaces a law that allowed voters without IDs to sign a form affirming their identity and then cast a regular ballot like everyone else. Read more
Filed under Blogs · Tagged with aclu, aclu virginia, felony voting virginia, kent willis