2021 proved that the ACLU is as relevant as ever. The fights go on. In this episode, we hear from ACLU-PA Executive Director Reggie Shuford, who talks about the year that was and the year ahead in 2022. Reggie explains the issues we're prioritizing, the ongoing threats to democracy, and our commitment to living our values as an organization.

Speaking Freely With the ACLU-PA

State of the Union 2021

Like other lawmakers in a handful of states, Pennsylvania Senate Republicans have initiated a sham review of the 2020 general election. On a party-line vote, a committee of the state Senate voted to subpoena the personally identifying information of all nine million registered voters in Pennsylvania. The subpoena demands voters' names, addresses, dates of birth, driver's license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers. ACLU-PA has joined a lawsuit challenging the subpoena as co-counsel for eight individuals and three advocacy organizations - Make The Road Pennsylvania, Common Cause PA, and the League of Women Voters of PA. Oral arguments in the case will be held on December 15 before the Commonwealth Court in Harrisburg. In this episode, we hear from Diana Robinson, civic engagement director for Make The Road PA, and Marian Schneider, consulting attorney on elections and voting rights for ACLU-PA. Marian and Diana discuss why the Senate's sham review is an unnecessary distraction from real issues, why it threatens both voting rights and the right to privacy, and how supporters of democracy can support and protect the franchise. Learn more about this case at aclupa.org/Dush. Learn more about the work of Make The Road PA at maketheroadpa.org, on Facebook, and on Twitter [at]MakeTheRoadPA.

Rights in Peril: Protecting Both the Vote and Voters' Privacy

The fight around abortion access has once again made it to the U.S. Supreme Court. And around the country, abortion liberation activists are unpacking what a ruling overturning Roe v. Wade or rolling back access could mean for the landscape of abortion health care. On this episode of Speaking Freely, we are joined by Elicia Gonzales, executive director of the Abortion Liberation Fund of PA, formerly known as the Women’s Medical Fund, and Lizbeth Rodriguez, community engagement coordinator for the Philadelphia Women’s Centers. They discuss how restrictions are currently impacting their work, the need for funding and community support, how abortion restrictions are rooted in white supremacy, and how their organizations are adapting and preparing so that they can continue to fight for abortion liberation across Pennsylvania. This episode was hosted by Cambriae Lee, ACLU-PA marketing and brand manager, and Julie Zaebst, ACLU-PA senior policy advocate. To support the Abortion Liberation Fund of PA and the Women's Centers, visit their websites. Abortion Liberation Fund of PA: https://www.womensmedicalfund.org The Women's Centers: https://www.thewomenscenters.com/take-action

The Fight for Abortion Liberation in PA

In August, staff at Central York High School were issued a long list of materials that could not be used in classroom instruction, per a ban by the district's board. What all of the resources had in common was that they were by or about people of color. After the situation became public in a story by the York Dispatch, students and staff at Central York fought back, staging multiple protests and bringing local and national media attention to the school's censorship. On September 20, the school board rescinded the ban, although the board stated that it will further review the materials later this fall. In this episode, we talk with three students and two teachers who were in the middle of the pushback against the ban. The list of banned materials is available at this link: https://www.ydr.com/story/news/2021/09/14/books-and-other-resources-banned-central-york-school-board/8333108002/

Banned Books at Central York and the Students Who Fought It

For a decade, the ACLU-PA has been part of the team monitoring how the Philadelphia police use stops and frisks of pedestrians on city streets. The monitoring process stems from the settlement of a 2010 lawsuit brought against the city by ten Black and Latinx men who were illegally stopped on account of their race. While there's been progress in the ten years since the settlement, thousands of people are illegally stopped without legal justification every year, and racial disparities in who gets stopped remain. On August 1, the Philadelphia police implemented a new pilot program, under court order, in the city's 14th police district, which covers parts of Northwest Philly. In this program, police do not stop and detain people who are committing any of one of a long list of minor offenses. They simply ask them to stop the activity and move along. In this episode, we hear from Mary Catherine Roper, deputy legal director of the ACLU-PA, and Frederick Bates, a community ambassador for ACLU-PA who is helping to get the word out to residents about the new program. Ultimately, the goal is for this program to go citywide. To learn more, visit aclupa.org/stopandfrisk.

Deescalate the Police: A New Approach in Northwest Philly

For approximately two decades, Berks County in eastern Pennsylvania has had a working agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold people in detention on ICE’s behalf. Under the leadership of presidents from both major political parties, the facility has held parents and children as young as newborns. Several years ago, a coalition of faith leaders, immigration activists, and civil rights advocates came together to create a coalition that calls for an end to Berks County’s agreement with ICE and demands an end to family detention altogether. In this episode, we hear from three leaders of the Shutdown Berks Coalition - Jasmine Rivera, the Reverend Linda Theophilus, and Armando Jimenez. Jasmine, Pastor Linda, and Armando explain what life is like for people held at Berks, what the coalition has been doing to advance this cause, and why the work goes on even though the facility is empty today. Take action by signing the coalition's petition to end family detention and all immigration detention: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/biden-end-immigrant-family-detention-separation-end-all-immigrant-detention-deportations?source=direct_link&fbclid=IwAR0cAkxSJRuQljSjAk8I_SrcSHNMG4_LlCl6KqRS1OvSKTf2dN8A9aXERrs Follow Shut Down Berks on Twitter [at]shutdownberks and on Facebook [at]shutdownberkscoalition.

Shut Down Berks: Ending family detention

Eighteen years ago, after receiving a courtesy ride from a Philadelphia police officer, Nizah Morris, a Black trans woman, was found hit over the head. She died shortly after. After years of asking for police transparency and answers, Nizah's murder is still unsolved, and evidence from her case remains unavailable to the public. On this episode, we are joined by PGN reporter Timothy Cwiek who has covered the case for almost two decades and has fought tirelessly for police transparency. Additionally, Reporter's Committee Legal Initiative Attorney Paula Knudsen Burke brings legal insight to Pennsylvania laws around transparency. And ACLU-PA Trans Justice Coordinator Naiymah Sanchez explains issues that trans women face today. Follow Tim's reporting on Nizah Morris here: https://epgn.com/?s=Nizah+morris. Learn more about our trans justice work: https://www.transformationpa.org/.

Justice for Nizah Morris

With the state budget deadline looming on June 30, this month is the busy season - or the silly season - at the PA General Assembly. Lawmakers are debating reproductive rights, voting rights, and the continued expansion of the criminal legal system. Here to discuss it all is ACLU-PA's legislative director, Elizabeth Randol. See how your state lawmakers are voting on civil liberties on our legislative scorecard: https://aclupalegislativescorecard.org/#/ Read the updated edition of our report More Law Less Justice at this link: https://aclupa.org/en/publications/more-law-less-justice-2021

Rights at risk at the state capitol

As more states legalize cannabis, including New York and New Jersey, Pennsylvania is at risk of being left behind, continuing to enforce an outdated, archaic prohibition regime that mixes up more than 20,000 people in the criminal legal system every year. In this episode, Yoko Miyashita explains the economic implications of legalization, including the need for greater racial equity in the industry, and why she traveled all the way from Seattle to be in Harrisburg on 4/20. Plus, hear from ACLU-PA's Alex Domingos and state Representative Brian Sims. Learn more about Leafly at https://www.leafly.com/. 2021 Leafly Jobs Report: https://www.leafly.com/news/industry/cannabis-jobs-report

Green jobs with Leafly's Yoko Miyashita

Deborah Archer is a professor at New York University School of Law, where she is the co-faculty director of the Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law. She's also the new president of the ACLU, the eighth in the organization's history and the first Black person to serve in the role. In this conversation, Professor Archer discusses her vision for the ACLU, how her life experience as a Black woman and the daughter of immigrants inspires her work, and what and who keeps her going when things are really hard. Follow Professor Archer on Twitter [at]DeborahNArcher. "Meet Deborah Archer" https://www.aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/meet-deborah-archer-aclu-national-board-president/ Learn more about the ACLU's Systemic Equality initiative: https://www.aclu.org/news/topic/systemic-equality-addressing-americas-legacy-of-racism-and-systemic-discrimination/

We have a new president

On April 28, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in B.L. v. Mahanoy Area School District. In 2017, a Mahanoy student was kicked off the junior varsity cheerleading team after she posted a "snap" on Snapchat that said "fuck school fuck softball fuck cheer fuck everything" while hanging out with a friend at a convenience store on a Saturday. Represented by the ACLU of PA, the student challenged the school's punishment and won four ensuing court decisions. In this episode, we hear from the student, Brandi Levy, along with ACLU-PA Legal Director Vic Walczak and Mary Beth Tinker, one of the plaintiffs in the Supreme Court's landmark case Tinker v. Des Moines. They talk about what's at stake in this case and why students should have the constitutionally protected right to express themselves. Oral arguments will be livestreamed on April 28 at 10am at this link: https://www.c-span.org/video/?510036-1/mahanoy-area-schools-district-v-bl-oral-argument Learn more about this case here: https://www.aclupa.org/en/cases/bl-v-mahanoy-area-school-district "Punished for a Snapchat: Why School Shouldn't Police Students' Speech Outside of School" https://www.aclu.org/news/free-speech/punished-for-a-snapchat-why-schools-shouldnt-police-students-speech-outside-of-school/

Students' speech outside the schoolhouse gate

It's 4/20! And arrests for marijuana possession continue apace in Pennsylvania. Chris Goldstein of NORML joins the podcast and reviews the latest arrest data, celebrates progress on ending prohibition around the country, and talks about what the legalization movement can do differently. Chris on Twitter: [at]freedomisgreen Chris's writing for NORML: https://norml.org/blog/author/chrisgoldstein/ "A cynical stoner looks back on 4/20" Published April 23, 2018 https://www.inquirer.com/philly/business/cannabis/a-cynical-stoner-looks-back-on-420-20180423.html

Freedom is green with NORML's Chris Goldstein

Women from the ACLU of Pennsylvania discuss women's rights and the inclusion of BIPOC women and trans women in the movement for women's rights. This conversation was recorded as a Facebook Live on March 22, 2021, in celebration of Women's History Month. For more information about the ACLU of Pennsylvania, visit https://aclupa.org.

Women of the ACLU of PA

In normal times, women who are incarcerated face a unique set of challenges that are different from men's. The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded those challenges. Ivy Johnson, Adrian Perry, and Dr. Jill McCorkel are members of the Incarcerated Women's Working Group, a coalition of 40 public interest organizations in Philadelphia advocating for women who are in jails and prisons. In this episode, they describe some of the challenges that women inside are facing in the Philadelphia jails and in the state Department of Corrections and talk about why decarceration is needed now more than ever. "The Other Public Health Crisis in Prisons and Jails" by Dr. Jill McCorkel: https://www.penncapital-star.com/covid-19/mental-health-the-other-public-health-crisis-in-pa-s-prisons-and-jails-opinion/ "Supporting Women in the Criminal Legal System Through Access to Diversion Programs," a new report by Community Legal Services of Philadelphia: https://clsphila.org/criminal-records/report-women-diversionary-programs/

"We have got to get more people out": Women, prisons, and COVID-19

A proposal before the Pennsylvania General Assembly would completely upend how voters elect judges and justices to our state appeals courts. House Bill 38 is a proposed state constitutional amendment that would create geographical judicial districts, with each judge and justice on the state Superior, Commonwealth, and Supreme Courts representing those districts, ending our current practice of statewide judicial elections. Opponents, including ACLU-PA, call it judicial gerrymandering, in anticipation that the legislature would draw the districts to benefit their party, as they do with legislative districts. Kadida Kenner is the director of campaigns for Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center. In this episode, she explains why judicial gerrymandering is so problematic and what you can do about it. Learn more at www.judicialindependencepa.org. You can send an email to your state representative in opposition to House Bill 38 at this link: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/pa-stop-judicial-gerrymandering

They're coming for the courts

This is the podcast that tells the story of civil liberties in Pennsylvania. You'll hear from our staff, our clients, and our allies about the most prominent civil liberties issues of the day.

hubhopper

Speaking Freely With the ACLU-PA

hubhopper